Transaction
by Saint Lucifer-The Damned
Summary: Two years ago they were the worst of enemies. Two years ago Tohma pushed Taki in front of a car, and he lived. That's their past. When they meet again under professional terms, what will happen between the two? COMPLETED!
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: We do not own any Gravitation characters!_

_Author's Notes: This was a fic written by me and my good friend Kel! It was supposed to be a one shot since I was in the mood for a Tohma, and she was in the mood for a Taki. Somehow, elements got added, plot twists and many angsty things! This turned into a full fledged fic by the time we worked out the details!_

_Hope you all enjoy the first chapter!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter One_

Waiting, waiting, waiting.

The blonde was not one to keep waiting. No, not if you wanted to make sure you acquired what was probably the biggest deal of your entire career. It was fifteen minutes past the set meeting time of three o' clock, and the large meeting room was empty save for himself and the fairly large folder of paperwork sitting in front of him.

One gloved hand flipped open the manila envelope and he quickly scanned the paper. A document stating the agreement of signing the band Opium. This deal was to take place with a one, Aizawa Taki.

Tohma sat back in the plush leather chair. He heard it sigh beneath him. Crossing his legs delicately, he removed the plain, black bowler from his head, placing it in his lap, hands resting lightly over it.

How had it all come to this? Tohma may not look like one who held a grudge, ever present smile always giving people an eerie form of comfort that the past was washed away like the grime collected throughout the day, but he did hold them where it was needed. Of course the one against Shindou-san had been forced away (Eiri-kun could only take so much), but there was no one to stop this one.

Aizawa Taki.

The name played in his head like a song he'd heard before but couldn't recall the name or band of it. He did, however, remember the old singer in vivid detail. The dark hair, brooding eyes, rough talk but sissy walk. Oh yes, Tohma's little gaydar could spot them from a mile away. Also, the way that lecherous blonde followed him like a wolf about to pounce was also quite a give away.

Tohma recalled the entire incident. The battered form of Shindou-san practically crawling through the lobby bright in his mind. Yet, he hadn't felt anything then. He had snapped when Eiri-kun had cried. Cried over such a thing. Yes, the blonde supposed that Eiri-kun had taken care of it all with the ASK group beating, and getting the pictures certainly saved a lot of time, but... well, Tohma hadn't thought it enough.

The letter had been a set up, the outcry against Shindou-san and Eiri-kun had all been expected, having ASK dump Taki on the street like last nights trash had been as well. The placement when Ma-kun had broken the news? Planned. Specifically for the pay phone Tohma knew he would run to.

The oncoming headlights on a carless street and a quivering, muttering Taki had been the last of the man. Tohma had exacted a true revenge for his Eiri-kun, having left the man totally broken. Or so he thought.

Who could've seen that two years from now, the very same Aizawa Taki would become a top manager. Not Tohma. Who could've seen Tohma offering a deal (not the other way around) to Aizawa Taki? Not Tohma. But Taki was one of the apparent best, and all Tohma wanted was the best.

Except his almost newly acquired best was now twenty minutes late.

_Author's Notes: My co-writer Kel and I have problems being on at the same time sometimes, so I guess I'll be handling a lot of the things. Like the notes! I'll be sure to drag her in on something to say every now and then. I'm sure if the reviews are impressive enough, she'll be encouraged to. It may put her in a good mood! And that's hard to do. _

_Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed the first chaper!_

_SL_


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: We don't own anything but the characters of the band Opium!_

_Author's Notes: Welp, here we are again! I hope the second chapter is just as entertaining as the first! We introduce some non-Gravitation characters that play a large role in the story's plot line later on. I think they're what made this more than a one shot._

_Enjoy!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Two_

"Dude... Relax. He's calling us in. It's not like he doesn't want us."

It was almost comforting. Almost, but not quite. Taki just shook his head, ignoring the smooth voice of Opium's singer. He didn't understand, and he never would. Not unless he did something no one else would do. Something that would put him forever on Seguchi Tohma's bad side.

That side hurt. It left permentant hurt.

"Kenji, he's not listening. Just shut up."

Ah, bliss. The smartest words he'd heard yet, and of course, from the sensible guitarist. And yet, still, the answering snort from what had to be the most annoying singer he'd ever met.

Certainly he hadn't been that bad.

"We're here." Taki glanced out the window of the car, then turned to look at Kenji and the female guitarist.

Kenji was rolling his eyes, brown eyes mocking. Unnaturally red hair hung in spikes in his face, and Taki fought yet again the urge to reach for scissors. It wasn't a concert, they weren't going anywhere that needed gel, make-up, and tight pants.

Schooling a calm expression over his features, Taki opened the door and gave the band one last look. "Behave."

"Wha-"

"You're kidd-"

The doors slammed as the three band members piled out, led into the building.

Taki tried not to look around. It was weird to be back. Weird to see faces he recognized surrounded by faces he didn't. Had Seguchi restaffed? Bastard. Someone had probably commented about all the fucked up managers.

How hard was it to find somebody decent?

Obviously Opium had managed, on some level. If nothing else, he'd found them.

The secretary at the main lobby entrance was different. At one time it had been a pretty young short haired brunette, always dressed smartly in a suit that seemed to fit Tohma's tastes. Now it was an orderly looking woman with her black hair pulled back to the nape of her neck in a severe manner. The glasses were settled on the tip of her nose and she scrutinized Opium and it's manager with distaste.

"You're late," she said simply, a buzzing noise emitted from under the counter hiding her desk top. "You may go up. I trust you remember where meeting room three is?"

For someone who hadn't worked to see the days of ASK, how could she know this? She was a temp hired by Tohma to get things started on his side. Would it leave the singer worried that everyone in the building had been briefed on Taki's past? New and old?

Tohma hoped so.

The buzz reached the meeting room and the blond straightened up putting on his bowler back atop his head and closed the folder holding the paperwork. He set it to the side, made sure the refreshments were completely set up and in order and was left waiting once again.

He wondered if Taki would make up an excuse, or would he come clean with the reason they were late?

"Well, in case you don't, Aizawa... san," the secretary added grudgingly. "Fourth floor, when you step out the elevator, take the left and it will be the third door. You might remember it well."

After that, her attention was focused at something unseen on her desk, leaving Taki and his band to do as they wished.

Remember it? If Tohma recalled, it was the same room he signed ASK in.

That smug son of a...

Taki's fists clenched at his sides, and dark eyes narrowed. Once the secretary was done speaking, he was walking past her, leaving the band to follow or get lost. The anger boiling deep in his stomach didn't care if they followed or not, because he hadn't expected to get angry until he was inside the room, facing down that eerie smile.

"Remember it," He snorted, voice low. "Of course I fucking remember it. Bastard."

Kenji and the guitarist exchanged glances as they followed, wondering at the obvious change in their managers mindset. Normally he only got mad when Kenji recorded crap vocals.

So... that was like, all the time, but it hardly mattered.

Taki's irritated grumbling died off somewhere during the elevator ride. He'd decided against the stairs, not wanting to find any other unwelcome surprises. As it was, he'd nearly let the doors close without the band inside the elevator.

It wasn't his fault they were dawdling.

His hands fisted in his pockets, and he watched the floor numbers tick by. Scowl firmly in place, he felt much as he had at twenty two.

But, he was not twenty two. Tohma was doing it on purpose. New staff, the room, the secretary. This was all designed to put him on edge. It had to be. Why else would he go to the trouble? Certainly not because he liked strict women.

Taking a deep, calming breath, Taki felt a little more on the right side of composed when the elevator reached its destination. He could handle this. Tohma was still playing games.

"Think he's gone nuts..." Kenji muttered under his breath, tossing his head to get his hair out of his face.

"Bet it's your fault."

_Author's Notes: Kel decided to take a back seat now, leaving me to do the notes. And posting. This is her revenge for my Tohma being so devious, or because she had to transfer the whole story into Word by herself._

_Anyways! I hope you're enjoying the story so far. I've been told recently that 'blonde' is for females and 'blond' is for males. I didn't know this. So, I'll have to comb over every chapter before posting it to fix that mistake on my part. But, now it's time to go see my friends at work. Later!_

_SL_


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: We only own the band members of Opium!_

_Author's Notes: Yay for chapter three! Thanks to the few reviews we've gotten so far. I know the chapters are a bit short now, but they all vary in length. Trying to divvy up chapters from a full length already written out story is harder than I thought. -.-; Thanks Kel._

_So, some chapters may be long, long, long, other's may be a blink of the eye short. Why? Cause that's how I see fit to break the story into chapters. Bear with me, please!_

_Thanks and enjoy!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Three _

Ah, how the young have grown, Tohma thought, closing the recently brought prepaid cell phone. He'd done it specifically for this event, and it worked well seeing as the few texted messages just sent to him by the temp pleased him greatly.

Apparently Taki had either learned his place, or was certainly more cautious. The blond was slightly impressed, but not too much. After all, one had to learn something after being taken to such lengths, no?

Tohma was more impressed with the fact that he had held out so long. Making the blond come and offer him a deal. When he had seen his name in the paper, Tohma assumed he would be one of the first contacted. But, then no calls. Quite disappointing really.

Now it was time to decide:

Send them away as soon as they entered for being late, lead them on and then dump them, or hear them out.

Distinguished, respectable, hated, feared, loved... all these and more described Tohma. So did fair.

He would wait. He would listen. He would make an honest judgment.

Honestly, Taki had some gall. Keeping him waiting like this. And then, without realizing it, making him wait some more! It brought a tiny smile to the blond's lips. Taki always did have something a little irking and endearing about him. It was no wonder the man did so well in the business world.

The temp knew her roll, and was paid well for it. As soon as the band ascended in the elevator, she got up from the desk. Just in time really, seeing as the usual secretary, two years older and her hair brushing her shoulders now, entered. The chatted for a minute, nothing spoken of what had just occurred and the temp left.

Yet another well placed mind game for the ex-singer when he came back downstairs.

Taki was calm when they reached the door. An icy, artificial calm. Inside, he was still raging. Everything in him wanted to get that bastard back. He turned to Kenji and the others and motioned for them to go in first.

"Go in, Kei."

Keiko, the guitarist, shot Kenji a dirty look. "Fine. Let's go, Haido." She opened the door and stepped inside, the quiet synth player following her in. Kenji entered after, looking a little wary, and Taki came in last, closing the door behind them.

The smile on his face was forced.

"Good afternoon, Seguchi-san." A short bow, in comparison to the much deeper ones from the band members.

Tohma rose from his seat, offering a short bow. He waved a gloved hand at the band, motioning for them to take their seats wherever they wished.

"Good afternoon, Aizawa-san," the blond greeted pleasantly. Like an old friend with whom he had to use the formality with. The smile on his face said likewise.

After they had seated, Tohma took his seat, leaning foward on the reflective wooden table, hands folding neatly. He looked them over in silence long and hard, taking mental notes.

The singer was just like Taki had been, though the maturity level... no, scratch that, just like Taki. No wonder he'd been able to make the band do well; Taki knew how to handle someone like himself. The girl was pretty, not shy, but polite. Possibly like Hiro-kun in a way. The synth player... well, he seemed very quite, very shy and almost uncomfortable.

Certainly not completely like ASK, nor like their used to be rival band BAD LUCK, but a nice in between.

"Well, right off, I'd like to say it's a pleasure to meet you all. I can see Aizawa-san has done a fine job," Tohma commented. "But, I have to admit I'm a little disappointed. You were late. Almost a half an hour so. Aizawa-san, could you please explain?"

All eyes were on Taki now. The large teal eyes focused on the dark haired man were the only things not radiating a happiness that was usually given off. But, it wasn't hate either.

It was all some sick joke.

Taki felt like he'd been transported two years into the past, when Tohma was still ASK's producer, and he was being quizzed on why he hadn't shown up for work, or had recorded something that was not up to par. Giving the wrong answer had almost been fatal back then.

Would Tohma actually kill him this time?

Kenji was starting to look uncomfortable, and Taki gave him a sidelong glance that told him to shut up.

"We had a hair emergency, Seguchi-san. But, as you can see, it's been taken care of." Obviously directed at the singer, who's discomfort seemed to increase.

Good. Taki was feeling particularly malicious toward the young man, who hadn't been spared the speech on why it wouldn't help his career to waste time.

"Mm," Tohma hummed, smiling at the lead singer now. "Are you sure of that? It looks as though the emergency is still there."

The blond chuckled, showing he meant no harm to the man. Though, really, such an unnatural shade... then again, he supposed he was getting on in years.

"Well, you are..." he flipped through the paperwork quickly "Sonoda Kenji? Ah, well Sonoda-san, let me assure you that while looking good is important" he too was very into how he was dressed and looked "you should never leave a man waiting. Take my work for it, right, Aizawa-san?"

Another little chuckle.

"Because, rest assured, you wouldn't be the first band I've turned away as soon as they showed up for the meeting. Lucky for you, Aizawa-san and I have a little history. Of which I'm quite fond of," Tohma said, as though they were such good friends and he was hurt that Taki hadn't called him in the past two years.

"But, chitchat aside, I'd like to get straight down to business," the blond said, sitting back in his chair. "I've heard your demo. Read the reviews, had others listen to you, and... I must say, I've been hearing good things. So, Aizawa-san, my deal is this: You sign a two year recording contract with N-G Records. In this time, I want to see two albums released. But, only if the first one sells well. If it does, we'll start small shows and touring, another CD, the same deal, and then meet for resigning. Under one small condition I'm sure you won't mind, Aizawa-san..."

Tohma smiled, eyes closed a bit.

"I will be working right along side you."

_Author's Notes: I know, some things are a bit farfetched. But I like my Tohma evil and devious and world ruler-y. So he does things like hire temps to screw with Taki and get a disposable cell phone. After all, why would he want a temp secretary to have his actual number?_

_But, besides that, the story pulls together fine._

_And, soon you'll all see why we titled this 'Transaction'. Soon, soon, soon! Review please!_

_SL_


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: We own nothing but the characters of the band Opium._

_Author's Notes: Here we go again! _

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Four_

Fond of. History. The hand that was beneath the table fisted, and it took much of Taki's concentration to keep himself from interrupting. If he couldn't keep a face up for the meeting, he couldn't possibly handle being in the company again.

But that offer.

Taki's eyes narrowed, and his fingertips pressed hard into his palm.

He and the band had agreed before hand that if Tohma made an offer, they'd accept it... But this! Glancing at the other three, he felt disgust rise at how thrilled they looked.

No. He didn't want to get into this again. He had to be crazy...

That sickening, fake smile was back on his face. "Of course. We'd be happy to sign your contract, and I'm more then confident that the CDs will sell. I'm sure we'll all thrive in such a set up."

He was going to die.

If Tohma didn't kill him, he'd do it himself.

His smile grew wider. "Wonderful! I'm so happy to have you back, Aizawa-san."

Inside, the gears were turning. What had he missed out on in the last two years? And how, exactly, would he find out? The little game of cat and mouse would begin again. How else could he... torture? No, too strong a word... how else could Tohma... extract a few unsettling moments during Taki's two year stay?

"Now, you may have this looked over by a lawyer, though I assure you I am a man of my word," Tohma said, holding up a hand as if in surrender as he handed over a thick contract. "I do need it back and signed within the week. Is this suitable?"

He already knew though it would be more than enough. The blond smiled at Taki knowingly, giving him a slightly... thoughtful look.

He really didn't like that look. Taki's eyes narrowed in suspicion, "I'm sure we'll have it into you before the deadline." Taking the contract, he didn't bother flipping through it.

Taki stood, and the band did as well. "We'll send it to you as soon as we have it signed, Seguchi-san." He was all but gritting his words out, now. Giving another short bow, one that was practically a nod, he turned to Kenji and the others.

"Downstairs. I'll meet you down in a moment."

He handed Haido the contract on his way out.

Tohma rose, respectfully bowing to the rest of the band, though his was close to Taki's. Once they had left, Tohma took his seat up again. He removed his bowler, setting it on the table, resting his hands on the armrests of the chair.

"Taki," the blond said, smiling fading as he dropped the pretense of formalities. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

Of course it had been. He motioned for Taki to sit again. He could refuse if he liked. Technically, Taki wasn't as much under his control as he had been as a singer.

"Sure." Taki stayed standing, hands in his pockets and suit jacket open. His face was blank now, no anger, and certainly no forced smile. Then his eyes narrowed, and he shook his head.

"You know... I don't care what game you're playing with me, but you don't hurt that band because I'm their manager. They've got what it takes to make it, and I don't want that dwarfed because of something that happened years ago."

For once, he wanted something of his to succeed. If he couldn't be the one behind the microphone, he wanted to be behind the entire band. That driving force that sent them places and made sure they got what they needed.

If he could do that, it would be almost as good as succeeding. He had his problems with the band members themselves, but that band would hit number one, with or without NG.

Tohma, to say the least, was shocked. It was practically written in his widened eyes and how his face changed subtly, ever so slightly, to express it.

"Taki," the blond said, short and sharp. "You can hate me all you want for doing what I did. But you will not insult the way I do business. You can hand the contract right back to my secretary if you even think for one second that's how I work."

Yes, the ex singer had struck a nerve.

"Think, Taki. Think. Why did I do what I did?" he asked, now easing back into pleasant. "I didn't do it because I cared for BAD LUCK. They were money, of which I have enough. I did it because you deserved it."

The cold hard truth written in a smile.

"Now, I would suggest you rethink how you'll be speaking to me. I also suggest you get rid of any thoughts that involve me doing anything to... our band," he said, drawing out the word 'our'. "Because... if I have a problem with you, you can be sure I'll take it up with you. Managers are quite expendable. A good band? Well, it's quite a different story."

The blond sat back, taking in the man standing before him. Something had changed. Something was different. New.

"Your singer? He's quite like you, you know," he said conversationally. "We won't be having any mistakes will we? Because if you think we will, I do suggest you keep him on a short leash."

And a choke collar, too, after he cut that stupid hair.

"They aren't your band." Taki was gritting his teeth, eyes still narrowed. He had never realized the full extent to which he really hated this man. It was surprising even him. "Not while I'm around."

Deserved it! Expendable! Ha! Taki would show him just how expendable he was. Ooh, he had no idea. None!

Taki's hands fisted in his pockets.

A short leash matched a short fuse. They both ran out too quickly.

That calm was back, though. The calm that had been keeping him sane for a little too long. It covered his anger, and masked his face. Before he realized it, he was smiling again. All business. "I do believe I'm wasting your time. We'll be back next week."

Of course, the 'we' only meant 'him.'

"Of course, Aizawa-san," Tohma said with a slight nod, switching back to a formal name.

They would meet as business partners and leave as business partners. But my, what a temper still! The blond noticed he had far better control these days though, which certainly was an improvement.

He only hoped there would be no repeats as last time though. No running out when he was having a bad day, no cursing profusely at everyone in sight. Tohma certainly wouldn't tolerate it a second time.

Though, he was still a little irked at the comment on the band. Having his practices questioned. The nerve! He had only punished Taki, not ASK in its entirety, had he not?

"I can't wait to see you next week."

There was no response save for the door closely behind him, and Taki was moving down the hall at a swift place. He took the elevator only because he didn't want to turn the corner to reach the stairs, glaring at the floor numbers as they passed.

Disgusting. He couldn't believe he'd resigned himself with this company.

On his way out the front door, he nearly stopped dead when he saw the secretary. Eyes narrowed, he glanced back toward the elevator, as if Tohma would pop out of it at any second just to laugh at him.

Smug bastard. What game did he think he was playing?

"Yo! Manager man, let's go! I'm bored." Kenji's voice carried easily over the hall, and Taki turned back without bothering to wipe the glare off his face.

Kenji's voice died off as Taki walked past him, and they were out of the building within seconds.

Bastard.

x

Again the blond found himself waiting patiently in the same meeting room. Today was the day that Taki had specified coming in with the contract. Tohma usually knew if a contract signing would go well or not. If Taki showed up with a lawyer in tow, there were problems. Of course, Tohma doubted that would happen, seeing as the blonde had made a more than fair offer.

Yes, he had heard Opium was good, but he had also heard that the lead singer was notorious for having to continually re-record, being late, throwing a few fits, being immature...

So it was the same risk as signing Taki all over again.

If said manager showed up to seal the deal. He officially had ten minutes left until it was exactly 4:30, when their meeting had been planned for.

4:25.

Shit. He was going to be late.

Taki cursed, picking up the contract from the passenger seat as he left the parked car on the wrong side of the parking lot. Where was the side entrance? He couldn't remember. Two years was a long time. Somewhere... Somewhere close to here, right?

His fingers were too tight on the paper. It was starting to hurt.

There! Yes, there. He remembered, now. He was almost running toward it, jerking the door open (always unlocked, he was relieved to remember) and stepping through.

Checking his watch, he cursed again.

4:27.

Damn that parking lot.

Elevator. Glancing around, Taki shook his head. Fuck. Too far away, he'd never make it.

That left the stairs. Four flights of stairs.

He had to wonder if he'd live through it, but there was nothing else.

He started up them with determination, skipping as many steps as his sore leg would allow. Even after two years, he was sure it hadn't healed right.

Well, too damn bad.

He pushed himself up another flight, wincing.

4:29.

He was dead.

Up. And up again... The door. He knew that door.

Idiot! Taki forced himself to stop. Of course he knew that door! That WAS the door!

He backtracked and pulled it open, just in time to see the clock change to 4:31.

_Author's Notes: Good morning one and all! I decided since I have work today, I'd put up chapter four early instead of waiting until tonight. I'm sure no one will mind!_

_Anyways, stay tuned for the next chapter! We've got the start of some good plot. Mmm, plot._

_SL_


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: We own nothing but the members of the made up band Opium._

_Author's Notes: Yay for chapter five! This chapter isn't exactly exciting per se, unless you can actually sense what's supposed to be going on. Kel and I really liked to focus in on these two when they have their moments alone._

_We hope you like them too!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Five_

Tohma watched the door unflinching as Taki burst through. He was smiling pleasantly as always, as if he hadn't moved from their last encounter. Taki, on the other hand, looked as though he was expecting the blond to have a gun drawn and cocked, aimed right for his head.

What a shame! To think his newest manager was so terrified of little old him.

His teal eyes glanced towards the clock, lingering over the hands. Thinking, deciding...

"Aizawa-san," he finally said, getting up from his seat, giving a short bow. "Please, have a seat. Have a drink. You look like you've had quite the work out."

One minute late... well, it wasn't fair to throw him out on that. A mere second less and it would've still been 4:30. Besides, what was a few seconds, really? His company practically ran itself.

"Water or scotch, Aizawa-san?" Tohma asked, going over to a small bar area. If he remembered, that had been the ex singers favorite.

Scotch. Taki nodded. His weakness for that drink was going to be his undoing. "Scotch."

He was a little too grateful to take a chair, masking a wince as he stretched his sore legs. He would have to keep himself still for awhile. He'd been warned about what overworking himself physically could do.

He was glad that the physicality only meant walking or running.

Taki set the contract on the table, pushing his hair out of his eyes unconsciously. It fell right back into place, but it hardly mattered, the motion one of those strange habits he never really noticed until it started to bug him.

When that happened, he went in for a haircut.

"Good to see old favorites never die," Tohma said, taking out two round glasses and placing them on the bar top with a light chink. Then more proceeded those as he placed a few ice cubes in each glass. While Taki preferred scotch (though he certainly couldn't understand why), the blond preferred rum. Any kind, though usually something with sweeter tastes.

He walked back over, placing the glass in front of Taki on the table. Tohma, still standing, leaned over to flip through the contract. All the 't's were crossed and every 'i' dotted. He sipped his drink pleasantly, ice clinking merrily and the blond walked over to the window of the room.

"So, Taki," Tohma sighed, watching the congestion of Tokyo below. "If you don't mind my being personal, how have things been for you?"

How had things been for him? Taki raised a brow at Tohma's back over the glass as he took a sip. He didn't set it back down on the table, instead holding it in both hands as he sat.

"Hectic. In and out of the hospital, signing contracts, dealing with the band..." Yeah, hectic was a good word for it.

He couldn't believe he was sitting in the same conference room he'd been signed in, having a discussion about how his life had been with the same man who had made and ruined him. He had to be insane to even think about having a calm conversation about it!

Especially with Tohma.

His throat burned with the scotch, and he looked past Tohma, out the window and over the tops of the many small buildings surrounding NG. Taller buildings loomed up over the fourth floor, and the view was lost.

It was always better the higher up you went.

Tohma took another sip, heat blurring through his chest pleasantly as he watched the little nothings of the world go by. He hummed noncommittally, tilting his head slightly. In the grey background of a nearby building, he could see Taki's reflection quite clearly.

He certainly didn't look haggard or overworked. The short years hadn't been too bad.

"I can see you've picked yourself back up. And in a surprisingly little amount of time," Tohma commented, eyebrows raised slightly as he smiled. "Why not try and dive into a solo career? If it's not too personal a question, of course."

Blacklisting was beneath Tohma (or so he felt). If Taki had wanted to, the blond was sure he would've gotten signed eventually.

Too personal?

Taki had wasted all of his "too personal" avoiding Kenji's questions. Tohma's were polite in comparison.

"I can't make myself do it." He shrugged, taking another drink from the glass. His eyes shut as the burn went down, and he let them stay that way. He wasn't comfortable in the room, no, but he didn't want to open his eyes and see that smile.

Not even the reflection.

"Two years isn't too bad. I could probably make it back through if I tried," Not bragging, just confident. He was sure he could. "But it's not ASK. We both know I was nothing without them."

Ma and Ken. He sighed, opening his eyes only halfway. Was he still nothing without them, or had he really moved on?

"Only because you made it that way," Tohma responded, turning the glass between both hands. "You put so much weight on Ma and Ken, that you both convinced yourself and your band mates that you couldn't be anything without each other."

Touching, but not professional. A band that was formed amongst friends was usually in the mindset of that. That all of them were nothing if they weren't with each other. Usually though, business broke things down and apart.

Taki either had deep faith in friends that had ditched him (at his command of course), or the short time they were famous, it hadn't had a chance to break down.

"But, you've done wonderfully for yourself," Tohma said, sipping the drink. "Are you happy in this line of work?"

"It's better then nothing." Taki finished off his drink, and the glass stayed in his hands, restless fingers tapping against it. He had to have something to do with his hands, something to dissipate the useless energy.

It was a wonder he didn't play an instrument, but for the life of him, he couldn't make his hands do two things at once.

Finally, he sighed and set the cup down on the table, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. His fingers were cool from the glass, and it felt good on his warmed skin.

He hated to sweat, but he recognized it as a necessary part of living.

He just didn't like it any.

"Ah, leaving it all up in the air, hm?" Tohma asked, the ice jingling merrily in his glass. "At least... that's how it seems."

It was the truth. Taki's statement 'it's better than nothing' was obvious proof. It showed he would rather be on the stage than putting people on it. Oh well... it couldn't be helped. It was Taki's choice.

"Well, Taki," the blond sighed, finishing off his drink and turning to face the dark haired man. "It seems as though we're all set. I'd like to get started with Opium next week, bright and early. Think you can manage that?"

He set his glass on the table, smiling.

"Of course." Taki pushed himself up and out of the seat, settling his weight evenly on both feet. "I'm sure we won't let you down." Every time, and Taki was already sick of it. He started as business, and he ended as business.

And yet, somehow they managed to become personal in the middle. What was Tohma trying to do to him? Whatever it was, Taki didn't like it. Not a bit.

Giving a bow that really was just a nod (they seemed to be getting shorter every time he had to do it), Taki straightened. "We'll see you next week. Bright and early." He remembered what time 'bright and early' translated into.

Kenji was going to hate it.

That thought alone was enough to convince Taki to agree.

"Glad to hear it," Tohma said, nodding back, watching Taki carefully. "I'll be having my secretary contact you on date, time and room."

Something about the way he was moving seemed to be off. His legs. The way he was careful standing up and moving now, even from side to side. Hm, something to watch closely perhaps? Possibly.

Well, he had a while to think on everything, though the stack of papers in front of him was proof that he could not take back his deal. In some ways he was glad. Now he couldn't back out of it. In other ways he wasn't. He couldn't back out of it.

"I can't wait to see you in action again, Aizawa-san," Tohma said, ending the meeting in business.

Taki just raised a brow before he left, snorting softly as the door shut. "I bet you can't, Seguchi-san."

_Author's Notes: I'm putting these chapters up at a fairly regular pace. I'll tell you all right now, I've made a total of 30 chapters so far, and that's not even half the story. I thought about going through some chapters and seeing if I could smush some together… but there's only one group I want to do that with. Maybe. We'll see as we go. _

_Leave a review, tell us how we're doing!_

_SL_


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: Blah blah blah band members of Opium are ours. Nothing else._

_Author's Notes: A special thank you to Silverone for reviewing this story over on AFF. You've been encouraging and intelligent with every review. It's always exciting to see a review, but to know it's from someone who genuinely enjoys your writing and not just posting to point something out in passing or whatever, it's a nice thing._

_So, thank you very much from Kel and I._

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Six_

"I'm serious, Kei! The guy's frickin' lost it!" Kenji was ranting again, absently pushing viciously red hair out of his face as he paced. He glanced at Keiko, who was sitting on the floor with her legs crossed, and stopped, folding his arms over his chest. "And you don't believe me! Why do I even bother?"

She looked up at him, the perfect picture of a bored three year old. Her dark eyes were wide and staring, her head tilted to one side. Her bleached hair was shocking, but not as bad as Kenji's red hair, even if it did fade to an orange at the tips.

Keiko was sitting cross legged on the floor, the semi large tee shirt she'd worn to bed giving off a child like look. Her lips were parted as she let her mouth hang open as she stared, not paying any attention. She. Wanted. Sleep.

And she'd been getting it too. Until Kenji had busted in, waking her up, pushing her out of bed to wake her up, and started... ranting! She really did not care in the least.

"Well, why should I believe it?" she asked, coming to. "You have no proof, just crazy rants."

Keiko started crawling back to the bed, hauling herself into it, pulling the covers over her head.

"If you have anything better than 'he's fricken lost it' I'm all ears."

Not.

Following her onto the bed, Kenji pulled the covers down to her shoulders, glaring at her through the red of his hair. "Did you see the way he and Seguchi were looking at each other the other day?" He demanded. "Taki looked like he was going to shit a brick, but Seguchi hadn't done a damn thing. There's some kind of history there!"

And he wanted to know what it was. What did it matter to him that it was three o'clock in the morning? He had nothing better to do with his time, and Keiko didn't either.

"Come on! You've got to help me figure out what it is. Please, Kei?" He sighed, giving her the look that had worked ever since they'd met.

"No. I did not see any brick shitting look," Keiko grunted, burying her head under a pillow. "I was too busy keeping an eye on an idiot singer who made us fucking late. Go home before I kill you. And I will-"

She stopped, daring to peek out at Kenji. The bastard was looking at her in a sadly expectant manner. Evil little shit. Quickly she knocked him upside the head with a pillow.

"Why do you care so much? It's not like we should worry. After all, we got the damn deal," Keiko rationalized. "'sides. Taki'll kill you once he finds out we've been snooping."

Yes, the transfer of 'you' and 'us' was apparent. Keiko wasn't going down for anything Kenji dragged her into.

The pillow hit him squarely in the head, and Kenji dropped dramatically onto the bed. Rolling onto his stomach, he propped his elbows up and rested his chin in his hands. "But you'll help, right? He won't find out. I promise!"

Often his promises that they wouldn't get caught proved to be false, as there had always been some sort of parent, adult, or supervising figure to catch them and put them into the trouble they'd been trying to avoid.

It was incredibly irritating.

And those looks in the conference room had been irritating. He couldn't have been the only one to notice. He had to get Haido to admit it, too. Something, because there was no way he was the only person to see Taki glare at Seguchi Tohma.

Who in their right mind would openly glare at Seguchi Tohma?!

It only secured Kenji's suspicions. Taki was insane.

Tick, tick, tick, tick...

"Fine!" Keiko said, trying to kick him from under the covers. "Fine, fine, fine, I'll help you! Just let me go to sleep! If you asked me, you're the fucking nutjob!"

Eventually her feet stopped kicking and a light snore was heard from under the sheets. Keiko had fallen back asleep in the middle of her rampage. She was just too tired to care. Maybe she'd gotten lucky and Kenji got bruised somewhere.

x

Taki was right. Kenji hated what "Bright and early" was. And Taki loved it.

"Man! It's six o'clock in the morning! I just got to bed!"

Taki snorted, and gave the blankets a great tug. Kenji curled up into a ball as the cold air hit him, glaring at his manager over his arm. "Get to bed earlier, then. We're not going to be late again. Get up."

It was a very tired, very annoyed Kenji that met the rest of the band out in the car. It was a sedated ride to NG, and Taki felt a little better as he glanced at the clock.

They were on time. Early, even.

It wasn't even seven yet.

Keiko was curled up on a seat in the car, still sleeping. She didn't wake up well, and she would kill all of them if she wasn't left alone to sleep on the ride there. Even Taki. She would light them all on fire.

The thought brought a small smile to her lips as she slept.

_Author's Notes: You get to see a little more of Opium's assorted collection of miscreants. You can tell already, if you can read that is, that Kenji and Keiko have something special between them. We really tried to get a grasp of that deep down friendship some people have. You can see a little of it here, but it keeps growing as we feature them more and more in the story._

_And trust me when I say, they'll be back and around often._

_Please review!_

_SL_


	7. Chapter 7

_Disclaimer: Don't own anything but the idiots of the band Opium!_

_Author's Notes: This is, to date, the longest chapter. Word of advice, it's really hard to find a chapter stopping point when an entire section of the story goes on for so long! It's not like the longer the better, because each chapter had a purpose and substance, but you don't want to overload a reader. If I didn't end the chapter where I did, it would've gone on for… at least another three or four pages. _

_So, thank me for ending it here later! For now, read!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Seven_

Tohma was already in the recording room, two glasses of rum in him already. It wasn't as though he was a drunk, but he certainly need something to keep easy going and pleasant, or he'd be a quivering wreck at this time of the morning.

It wasn't as though he was one to be plagued with guilt, but he wasn't ready to spend such long hours with Taki sober. Not yet. Eventually he would be able to handle it, all smiles without the drink, but not now.

Taki was practically pushing them into the elevator, and Kenji fell asleep on Keiko's shoulders as the box rose. Haido was quiet in the corner, either asleep with his eyes open, or awake from the day before. Out of all three of the band members, it was Haido Taki worried about.

He could handle Kenji, and he could handle Keiko, but Haido spoke even less then Ken. It made Taki curious, but more suspicious then anything else.

The elevator doors dinged open, and it was back to pushing as they piled out of the elevator. They could sleep on their break for all he cared, but they weren't going to be late today. Taki would jump in front of a car before he let them be late again.

Haido opened the door, and Taki gave Kenji a shove into the room. It was light, but as tired as the singer was, he stumbled forward and caught Keiko's elbow to bring her in with him.

Keiko nearly went down under Kenji's sleeping, dead weight. She wanted to sleep too, damnit! But to hold him up, she stayed awake, leaning her head back against the glass wall of the lift, eyes closed. But it wasn't long before they were pushed and jostled again. She was so very close to hitting Taki.

So. Very. Close.

Haido followed without having to be herded and moved and touched like the others. Still quiet, still bland. He was a washed out little nothing that anyone wouldn't look twice at. Black hair and black eyes, a plain face neither extremely attractive, nor horribly repulsive to look at. He just was.

Keiko fell after Kenji's jerked her and she brought him down with her as they entered the room.

Tohma blinked, staring at the procession before him. A wry smile was on his lips and he began to clap slowly.

"I must say... Your choreographer has a... unique style."

The blond chuckled, walking over to help the two up.

"Now, now Aizawa-san, no hurry, no hurry," he chided lightly. He tended to repeat himself when a bit buzzed. "If I had known it would be such a rough start for you all, I would've made your first day a little later. Aizawa-san, why didn't you tell me? Telling me would've been better."

Ah, but a sadistic bastard Taki was, of course.

Kenji let Tohma help him up, sending Taki a sleepy-eyed glare. "Yeah... I could've gotten some sleep..." He grumbled, rubbing at his eyes with one hand.

Ignoring Kenji, like he did on so many other occasions, Taki shrugged. "A little bit of morning air won't kill them." Kenji snorted like Taki was lying.

Two identical glares met, and Kenji was the first to break the contact, eyes shutting as he yawned widely. Taki shook his head, slipping his hands into his pockets. "It's too late to worry about it now. They're here, even if they aren't awake."

Keiko got to her feet and made her way to a chair. She didn't glare, no point. She would hurt them all later. Yes, all of them would be in such pain...

Haido bowed politely, but said nothing. There was no point. He was here to work, and he would. He just had to wait for Kenji and Keiko to work.

Tohma tsked softly, smiling at Taki. "Of course, of course... still... it seems as though we'll be waiting at least another hour for them to wake up so we can work!"

Taki raised a brow at Tohma, lips quirking up on one side in a 'Oh, yeah?' look. "No, we won't. Kenji."

"What?" The singer was practically growling, his hair a mess in his face because he'd been rubbing his hands through it.

"There's coffee downstairs."

The hands paused, the eyes widened, and the door closed as Kenji left in search of the caffeine. Taki couldn't help his smirk. He understood the rush to leave. Why? Because coffee was the only thing that had pushed him to meet the 'bright and early' schedule, too.

And it was better being addicted to coffee then to smoking. That had been a hard habit for him to break.

Tohma blinked slowly. Well... Kenji could be quite quick couldn't he? Keiko twitched in a light sleep, muttering. Sleeping sitting up always made her irritable in her sleep. But the blond ignored that.

Tohma noticed no one would truly notice anything (or at least say anything if they heard it). He decided to talk with Taki openly.

"Taki, I'm surprised you aren't following your singer out the door," Tohma said, smiling. "After all, wasn't it you who would... well, to put it bluntly, bitch, until you had coffee in your system?"

He turned, gloved fingertips dusting over a few knobs and controls on the board.

"Yes, yes, that was you. But what happened? Have you given up on coffee?"

Tohma highly doubted it.

Taki looked sick at the very idea. Giving up coffee... He'd die, first. "I've been awake since four, and I've had a cup for every hour." Taki shrugged, slipping off his suit jacket and draping it over a chair.

He'd always hated wearing those. Constricting, too warm, and he felt like they were trying to swallow him whole. With the thin button up shirt, he had free movement, and his thin frame wasn't brought down by the extra weight.

It wasn't much, but it was just enough to make him feel heavy.

He glanced at Keiko, shaking his head. "It would be easier if I could figure out what I needed to keep this one awake. Kenji's easy. He's always awake." He nodded toward Haido. "But she's the hardest to get through to."

It was surprising, actually. One would have thought it was Kenji.

Tohma laughed lightly at the face Taki had made, shaking his head. "Of course, of course, what was I thinking? You and coffee not together? Mm, too strange, too strange."

The blond looked over at Keiko, who was apparently trying her best to curl up in the chair, almost laying flat across the seat that was obviously far too small. Humans were quite a wonder sometimes.

"Cattle prod?" Tohma suggested, eyebrows raised. "Well... when you wake her up before she's ready to wake up naturally, what's she like?"

Maybe they could just work through it. And... well, Tohma could ask all he wanted. He was working right with them from now on.

Taki rubbed his arm like it hurt, shaking his head. "I had to start taking away blunt, sharp, and mobile objects from around her before waking her up. Now I just send Kenji in to do it, though it's likely he'll fall asleep on the way there."

He stifled a yawn of his own, pushing a hand through his hair without realizing it. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, then settled it evenly between them both again. "A cattle prod might be more efficient."

Maybe he would get them rescheduled for later in the morning. Waking up early might not kill them, but it would certainly hurt all of them. Except maybe Tohma, who looked as awake as he always did.

It was almost disgusting.

"Really?" Tohma asked, looking back as Keiko's sleeping form (which had seemingly managed the impossible. She was resting awkwardly against a wall, her body curled up and contorted on the chair. Tohma didn't see how that could be comfortable at all) with a bit of respect and surprise.

A violent streak? How... pleasant.

"Well then... perhaps cold water," the blonde said, more hesitantly this time. He didn't wish to be Kenji at all. The poor guy must seriously have a few injuries and stories to tell.

"Either way, Taki, I'm sure we can schedule time later in the afternoon. After all, I want a band that can perform at its peak at all times; rehearsal and concerts," Tohma said firmly.

The blond felt his buzz start to recede, and though he felt able to stand being in the same room as Taki, a part of him mourned the loss of the misty tingle behind his eyes. Another part scolded himself for missing it so.

Perform at all times? Taki had to bite back a snort. Unlikely, at best. 'Fickle' was a good word to describe Opium. If Kenji wasn't being a flake, he was arguing with Keiko, or sulking. Fickle was a very good word.

Where the hell was Kenji, anyway? The fool had probably gotten lost.

"I'm sure you'll do nothing but help them." Taki tried hard to keep the scathing tone from his voice, succeeding on a small level. He deserved a cookie for that one.

He should get half hour treats for behaving so well.

Kenji came back into the room, holding a cup of coffee like it was the most sacred thing in the world.

"Ah, Sonoda-san," Tohma greeted happily, smiling as he watched the way the singer treated his coffee. So much like many of the employees here. They would do just fine. "I'm glad to see you've found the coffee... now... if perhaps you could handle your friend, Takashi-san..."

The blond certainly wouldn't force it on anyone if it was as bad as Taki made it sound. Keiko just didn't look volatile. She almost looked harmless asleep like that if you had asked Tohma.

Kenji's eyes widened in something akin to fear, and he took a long drink from the cup in his hand. "Right." He was so dead. Setting down the coffee cup as far away from Keiko as he could, Kenji braced himself. It was almost a visible thing.

Taki raised one unimpressed brow. Sometimes, it was almost shocking how fast coffee worked on Kenji.

Crouching in front of the chair, Kenji looked up at Keiko and pulled on her hand. Then her arm. And then her hair. "Keeeeeei..." He whined, ready to launch himself back if she tried to hit him. "Kei! I think I stepped on your Hyde CD!"

Every morning, it was a different mistake, a different CD or something important. Kenji had actually only stepped on one of her CDs once, and the bruises had lasted for weeks, but it was an effective way to get her up. Other times, he would simply flop down on top of her, and she'd kick herself awake trying to get him off.

It was like a cartoon where the awoken character would have a shattering glass sound effect when the eyes shot open. You could almost hear the same as Keiko's eyes pop open wide out of sleep and a hand shot out right away, knocking Kenji in the side of the head.

"You little shit!" she was already ranting. "How could you? Don't you ever watch where you're going?"

Okay, even though Keiko left everything a mess... he could still be more careful.

Keiko sat up, ignoring the stiffness in her shoulders and neck that was almost painful and landed a foot dead center in his chest, shoving him backwards.

"You are SO paying for that one!"

She got up, making to take up a chair, when Tohma clear his throat. She almost ignored it... and then she remembered where she was. And why her Hyde CD was probably perfect and unbroken back at her place.

Keiko blinked, feeling the color drain from her face. "Um. Good morning..."

The foot in his chest hurt, but Kenji was laughing too hard to notice. He was on his back, on the floor, but the moment was just too priceless for him to get up.

Taki looked less then thrilled, though inwardly he was pleased that Keiko was up and Kenji had lived through it. He reached down and pulled the hysteric singer to his feet, wincing as pressure was added to his leg.

"Are we ready to work now?" He asked, voice stony.

Kenji was still snickering, reaching for his coffee as he nodded. "Sure. Whatever you say, Manager Man."

Taki grit his teeth, and reminded himself that he couldn't kill Kenji until their contract was through. Next time, though, he would be right behind Keiko with another chair.

Okay, she was awake now. Tired still, but not enough to fall over asleep somewhere. But Keiko refused to be embarrassed. She crossed her arms defiantly and stared at the wall above Taki's head.

"Ready when the idiot is done drowning himself in caffeine," she muttered snappily.

Tohma hid his smile behind a hand, though his eyes gave it away. She was too funny. The way Keiko and Kenji acted, it was as though this was not only a regular occurrence for work, but outside of it too.

"Well, I'm excited to get started," Tohma finally said, trying not to laugh. "I'd really like to hear what you can do."

Taking a large drink, Kenji set the empty cup down again. Caffeine and sugar had always had an opposite effect for him, though sugar was undoubtedly worse for putting him down. He had an energy boost, and it leveled out, leaving him practically normal.

ADHD or whatever. Kenji didn't care.

"I'm ready. Let's go." He grinned, rocking back and forth with wide, expectant eyes.

Taki forced himself to stay calm. He couldn't get angry without a right. Technically, they were only waiting on Kenji. The thought was practically enough to make the anger hate.

"Come on. We're in studio four." Studio four, on this floor. There were too many floors in the building used for recording for there to be strictly numeric names.

He didn't look to Tohma for approval, simply turned and expected those who needed to be there, or needed the guidance down the hall to follow him.

Sometimes, he felt less like a manager and more like a babysitter. It wasn't at all a pleasant feeling.

Keiko muttered angrily as she followed them out, walking beside Kenji, shoving him from time to time. She was still pissed. Really pissed it seemed as she tried to shove him into an opening door.

Tohma walked side by side with Taki as Haido walked silently with the group, but not partaking. What a strange person he was. Tohma didn't think he'd heard a word out of the boy since the very first meeting.

"So, Aizawa-san, what have you planned out today?"

"They're going to start re-recording their album. We had inferior machines," Not to say their music was inferior, just the machines. "So the tracks we finished were below their skill level."

Sure, he may not like them much, Kenji irritated the crap out of him, but he was good.

Taki sighed as Kenji narrowly missed getting smacked in the nose with a door, and watched as he shoved Keiko back. It was so hard to get anything done with those two. They were practically siblings, and they acted that way all the time.

It made him appreciate Haido's silence. The kid was good at what he did, if a little creepy.

"There's almost an entire CD ready, they just need to redo their tracks, and finish the last two songs."

Tohma nodded, watching and sidestepping as Keiko stumbled through their conversation, stopping herself on the wall. She practically growled, looking like she was going to throw herself at Kenji.

Tohma cut her off.

"Takashi-san, I've been meaning to ask you something," the blond said easily. She blinked and tried not to look too pissed off.

"Uh, sure..."

"How did you and Sonoda-san meet? You two are either very close, or you want to kill each other," he chirped happily.

Keiko looked over at Kenji, almost smiling. "Well... it's a funny story..."

Kenji returned her almost-smile with a half-grin of his own. It was funny now, but then? It had hurt like hell. "I was about... twelve, right?" His brow furrowed, and he didn't realize they'd stopped in the hall. "Close to twelve, anyway, and..." He frowned again, story coming to a halt.

"It needs some back-story." He decided aloud, nodding. "When I was a kid, I was short, fat, and obnoxious."

Taki raised a brow. He was inclined to think the 'obnoxious' part hadn't changed.

"My face looked like this." Kenji brought up his hands and squished his cheeks in, lips poofing out like an exaggerated fish. He lowered his hands, shrugging. "Anyway, there were these guys at school who hated me, and they were kicking me around the neighborhood." Almost literally. "Eventually I hit her door, and-"

Keiko was laughing and nodding a bit. She picked up the story where Kenji left off.

_Author's Notes: I'm really bored and haven't slept, so I decided to put up another chapter! This is where things started getting messy. We had three band member that weren't supposed to be important, and two main characters that should've been the main focus. Suddenly, we have a back story for two of them and we were passing Haido back and forth to fill in space. I didn't want him to feel left out._

_Little did we know what would happen…_

_Drop us a line and tell us how we're doing!_

_SL_


	8. Chapter 8

_Disclaimer: Same as the last chapters!_

_Author's Notes: I realize that a lot of this story could be seen as monotonous. We have long conversations in the same place that are supposed to cover hours of time. Kel and I felt we needed those long moments. We wanted the useless banter between Tohma and Taki, because we wanted to know and see how they really reacted with each other. Opium was just supposed to be a filler so we could get to the one shot part._

_I know it sounds confusing. Why would we, the writers want to see how our characters acted with each other? Honestly? Cause we just let it flow. We get into the mood of our characters, and what comes out may not be what we planned out on MSN or something, but it's always good._

_Ah, little did we know about Opium and the potential we unwittingly gave them. Enjoy!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Eight_

"Okay, so this butterball almost knocks my door down. I was busy and didn't want to be interrupted" really, she'd been watching cartoons and was in a bad mood, but they didn't have to know "so I yank the door open, look out and there's this little guy rolling around my front yard with a bunch of kids laughing."

She started to giggled slightly as she went on.

"So first, I go up to the guys. There were like... three or so. I kicked one in the nuts and he had to be help off with his buddies. They didn't leave without a good dose of cursing. Then I go back to where this idiot is still squirming, help him up... and smack him for interrupting me."

Tohma was almost dumbfounded.

He looked at Kenji. "So... you've stuck by her all this time because she smacked you?"

Kenji laughed. "Not only for the smack. After that, she brought me inside, fed me, and we watched cartoons. She may have a tough, sour exterior, but on the inside, she's a marshmallow."

Hey, how could he not forgive the smack when his sides hurt more then his face did? Kenji hadn't really cared after the second cup of tea, and a piece of cake. Sugar was the way to his heart, even if it did put him to sleep.

It was a damn good thing Keiko had found it, too. Otherwise they never would have gotten to where they were.

"Really, though, I was just glad they weren't kicking me anymore." He rubbed his sides as if they still hurt.

Taki was still struggling with the idea of a fat Kenji. The boy had certainly lost that when he grew, now just under Taki's own height. He was slim, his face was almost feminine, and he was just lanky enough to annoy the hell out of him.

Keiko hit his arm. "I did no such thing! And I am not a fluffy white edible!"

Tohma looked them over, smiling a little. It was cute how they acted, a big question of 'why?' came to mind, but the blond preferred not to ask. It was their business.

"But you looked soooooooo cute" she drawled "snoring and drooling all over my couch."

Wait... didn't that mean she did let him in? Aw, hell.

"Yeah, whatever." Kenji used his height advantage to wrap an arm loosely around Keiko's neck. Then he started dragging her down the hall again. "Come on, let's get to work. When's lunch?"

Taki sighed audibly. There, now. The image of a fat Kenji was easy to imagine after that question. He wondered if the fool realized it was not even seven o'clock in the morning.

What did it matter, so long as he worked?

Taki shook his head, following after Haido, who had finally shown the first flicker of impatience. He was impressed, but Taki knew what to expect. Tohma didn't, and that was all part of the fun.

Keiko struggled in the grip for a bit, before giving up, arms hanging down as she allowed herself to be dragged along. She was still cursing at him though, trying to shove him into the occasional wall for the hell of it.

"They'll feed you the day that you can sing a good song," Keiko said, smiling innocently.

Tohma watched them with either intrigue or awe. He wasn't sure which. They were interesting, but... slightly frightening.

He smiled at Taki, think shoulder lifting in a shrug. "You get used to it, I assume?"

"They never stop, so you get used to it pretty fast." Taki sighed, "I hardly notice anymore. And they bother wondering why they get treated like children." Simply because they acted like it.

He watched as Kenji unhooked his arm, and Taki chose that moment to interrupt. "Our studio is the door just around the corner." And they'd better remember it, too. They'd be all but living in it, soon enough.

This was going to be harder then Taki wanted to admit. Already, he missed the hours he'd spent in a studio much like the one they were approaching, working over the songs again and again until the tune, the vocals... everything matched perfectly.

He missed the stress before a show, and the euphoria that came while he was onstage and well after he was off of it. The make up, the costumes, the sound of Ma and Ken tuning... He missed it all.

But, he didn't let on, expression closed as they went around the corner.

Tohma watched the dark haired man closely for a moment, but said nothing. He just continued smiling as the band made their way to the recording room assigned. Keiko and Kenji seemed to be warming up a bit and dropping the kiddie act as they got closer.

The blond stopped with the rest before the door and filtered in with them. The door shut behind them and Tohma pointed to the room behind the small recording area that had a guitar, a mic and a synth.

"Get to work," he said pleasantly, holding back the word 'children', though it was so tempting to add it on. "Because I'm working with you directly, you will be worked until I am satisfied. Any complaints?"

He looked at the group, a small smile on his face.

"No, sir." Haido finally spoke, one hand on the door that would give them access to the room with the instruments. Kenji gave a salute, and Haido opened the door, letting the three in the band get to their stations.

Kenji was at the microphone instantly, and it was obvious by his smile how much he loved being behind it. This was every kids dream, and they were living it! That was just too awesome for words.

Taki leaned against the machine that would record everything, watching as the band members accustomed themselves with their new instruments. Or, as Keiko and Haido did. Kenji didn't care what he was singing into, as long as he got to sing.

Usually, anyway. Sometimes, it took some convincing.

Haido had the synth turned on, and he had no qualms about starting to play. It was a warm up, and Taki recognized it immediately. One of the first songs they had to redo.

This was the best part of watching this band. Watching that bland, bored looking player come to life behind his keyboard.

And he did, quickly. Haido had the machine up and running in seconds, knobs turned to get the right beat, fingers on the keys, already fast for such an early morning. Kenji whipped around and glared at him, obviously having a problem with the volume.

Quick fingers went up to a simple dial and turned it, Haido giving him a bland shrug and a smile that said, "Oops."

Tohma's eyebrows raised and he looked at Taki, clearly surprised. Not only was Haido quick, but the boy knew what he was doing and he was good. Tohma could always appreciate a good synth player any day of the week. He was certainly impressed.

"Where did you find him?" he asked Taki, who was starting to look pleased. "Did he come with the other two?"

It certainly didn't seem like it. Their music wasn't very complex, but it was a bit unique. Tohma wanted to give him something harder. Test him.

Keiko laughed behind the glass, nudging Kenji in the small of his back with the head of the guitar. They all spoke for a moment, deciding on something. Then they did a silent count and Keiko started in on a few chords.

"It was something between those." Taki shrugged, his arms crossing low on his chest. "I told them they needed something more when I found them. Kenji said he knew a guy, and... that guy was Haido."

He watched as the synth player in question turned dials, and there was a beat thrumming through the room. Heavy, there was no mistaking it as rain like high notes started tinkling over.

"This is one of the songs that needs work." Taki told Tohma, glancing at him. "They're warming up."

The light notes were blended into something with more sound, buttons pushed and dials turned for the electric sound only a synth could create. Guitar and keyboard meeting in a crash that was obviously raw.

Kenji's limbs were loose, and he was shifting with beat, holding onto the microphone with one hand. This was his world, and he didn't care who was on the other side of the glass, so long as it was only him, Keiko, and Haido on this side.

He was singing at the natural time to do so, not really keeping time, and not really caring. He didn't keep time. He sang when he felt like it, when it felt right.

And this just felt... right. They were doing what they'd always wanted to.

Taki turned his eyes back to the band. This was why he was with them. Their sound. And this was why he kept Kenji around. That voice. It could be deep and rich, raw, or even hit some of the notes that Taki himself had never managed.

And when Haido got to work, rewired the microphone through his synth, and that voice came out almost electronic, matching the deeper chords from the guitar and the buzz from the synth... That was when they came together. They were an eclectic group. Not quite one genre, but not quite the next.

Taki thought it was safe to say they were entirely new.

"Oh, he's very good," Tohma said wryly, arms crossing. He watched Haido work with a smooth efficiency that one didn't always see with young kids.

"This is certainly different... it doesn't feel like it's by much though. Like this group has slipped right in between," he mused pleasantly. "Good work, Taki. Maybe you should've become a manager a long time ago."

Keiko was enjoying this to the fullest. It was finally what they had worked for, and damn, it felt great to her.

Taki just shook his head, though Tohma had come to the same conclusions about the band that he had. A manager, before the... accident? Him?

No. Singing was what he did, who he was. This managing thing was just as close as he could get.

Kenji was coming up to the chorus again, and he couldn't help the smile on his face as he sang. So cool. This was so, so fucking cool. How couldn't he be happy, with something like this? Keiko was with him, Haido was, once again, performing perfectly on a song that only needed a little tweaking, and he...

Was awake, doing what he loved. Getting ready to start recording an album.

He had never felt so alive.

Taki was listening again, closely to the way they played. "Listen to this. The way the synth and guitar stop matching up. They need to work on that, but they've been focusing on the introduction. That's good, they need that for people to listen, but the body of the song is what needs the work."

Tohma closed his eyes for a brief moment. Yes, he could hear it. The timing became off, and though it was almost able to be overlooked by the average teenager, but not by anyone working in music. Or so he hoped.

"Well, it's common with young bands. They work on perfect the beginning so much that they neglect the rest of the song," the blond said, pushing a button to let his voice in. "Stop. I need you to start from the second chorus, Sonoda-san, no vocals please. I need you two to play just the music. Your timing is off. I want it completely synchronized."

He glanced over at Taki. Personally, Tohma didn't care if this was a remake or not, if it was being produced by N-G Studios, it was going to be perfect.

"Continue when ready."

Tohma let go of the button and watched expectantly. Keiko had paused and was looking at Haido and Kenji, just being sure. Of course they wouldn't not do as asked, but it couldn't help honest surprise.

They'd get used to it.

Taki watched as Kenji's attitude flared. It was almost a visible thing, his eyes widened, then narrowed dramatically, and he could almost see the indignance rise. He raised a brow as Kenji glanced at him, and shrugged one shoulder.

Tohma was the boss. As much as he hated to work under him (again), you couldn't go up against the boss. Not on the first day.

Kenji sighed, stepping back from the microphone. Haido leaned forward, over the synth, and said something in soft words to Kenji. It didn't seem to help, and Kenji just shrugged, glancing at Keiko.

All of this was enough to make Taki sigh. Honestly, was it so hard? They had to replay the song. He'd made them do it countless of times, and none of them had had such a show of melodramatic reluctance before.

Taki took over the button, seemingly relaxed, though the annoyance was making his muscles tight. "Come on, guys. It's not a recording, we're just getting the song down. We won't record till it's perfect, it's not like you won't have time."

Keiko smiled at Kenji, sticking her tongue out at him. She said something. Tohma guessed it was derogatory, but in a joking manner. Trying to cheer him up.

"My, but isn't he a little angst whore?" Tohma said with a chuckle as Taki released the button. "Does he throw temper tantrums too?"

Certainly, Kenji was almost as bad as Taki when he was working here. Though, the two of them were quite different.

Keiko decided to give up on lightening Kenji's mood and started talking to Haido. They both seemed to nod in agreement, then in time. On a count, they both began playing.

"His mood swings are horrible." Taki sighed. "He'll be happy, bouncing around, and completely obnoxious one minute, and the next, he'll be serious and focused. You can never tell with him. He's like a bag of mystery candy. You don't know if it's good until you've eaten it."

It wasn't the best metaphor, and Taki was surprised at the lengths to which he'd gone to describe it. He had never been one to talk much, thinking words were better in songs then in conversation. He still believed it, but things had changed.

Lots of things had changed.

Haido was still looking at Kenji when Keiko started counting, and he glanced at her as they started. He wasn't used to starting in the middle of a song, but he did it anyway, focusing on the keys, then on Kenji again.

Tohma listened carefully, eyes hard. As soon as he heard the slip out of synch, he hit the button again.

"Do it again," he ordered.

He wasn't getting more agitated as it continued happening, though it may have seemed that way. He was just doing business. The music was going to be tweaked until perfection, and he had told them they would be worked until he was satisfied.

He just wasn't easy to please.

_Author's Notes: Originally, I was going to have Keiko holding a deep crush for her longtime best friend, Kenji. You may still be able to pick some of those things out. But the story, at the time, was messy enough without more conflict within the now main focus band. It just didn't work out, so, slowly as Keiko developed further, it just became a part of her detached states._

_She's strange and simple in a way that makes her complex. Like a math problem that's so easy, you make it more difficult than it really is. But you'll find out more about that a little later on. This is her early stage. The same for Haido._

_I think I'll give more little tidbits on characters every once in awhile. It's actually really entertaining. I'll make sure Kel can give me her insight every now and then too. _

_Leave a review!_

_SL_


	9. Chapter 9

_Disclaimer: We only own the characters of the made up band Opium!_

_Author's Notes: There's not much to this chapter. You just see more interaction of how Tohma's control with the band affects Taki and so on. Sorry if it's not as entertaining for you guys._

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Nine_

Taki remembered this process. For once, he could sympathize with Kenji. It was hard when there were problems in the tune that couldn't be helped with vocals. They sometimes took hours to work through, and Kenji's temperament was going to set him on edge for hours afterward.

They were going to need to give him something to do. Soon.

He watched through dark eyes as Haido leaned over his synth again, saying something in rushed tones to Keiko. An easy agreement was made, and he leaned back again.

The song started again, at the same place as before. Haido was improvising now, shifting dials to try something new, something a little darker to match up with the guitar as his fingers danced over the high keys to mimic the rain drops from before.

Tohma cocked an eyebrow as Haido changed the song a bit. Keiko was still playing her part, and while this new tone matched a little better, it wasn't in synch.

"Nice touch, but still off. Keep it and try again," the blond said as he pushed the intercom button down.

Releasing it, he looked at Taki. "What do you think? About the change your synth player threw in."

Keiko was starting to get frustrated now. Tohma shrugged and hit the button again.

"If you want, we could have someone count out the time for you as you play to get it right. If you'd rather not, just play it again on your own and get it right," he offered, releasing the button.

Seemed as though this group thought the hard work was over.

"Changes to the song won't help them if they're still off beat." Taki shook his head, watching as Kenji sat down somewhere behind Haido. It was better that he was sulking and quiet then loud and in the way. It would just be hard to get him to work when they were through.

Haido seemed to have reached the same conclusion that Taki had, and this time, he actually went around the synth to talk to Keiko. This conversation took longer, and he was punctuating his words with his hands.

Kenji's eyes followed them, but he didn't get up or add anything. Hey, what did he care? He obviously wasn't needed.

The agreement came, and Haido went back to the synth. He turned dials, and started to reset it completely, tuning it the way he wanted to. It would be practically improvisation, and he hit the record button on the synth, just in case.

That would record it to the keyboard's drive, if not the entire systems. They wouldn't lose it if this worked.

Keiko talked with Haido in a bored manner, clearly sick of having to repeat the same chords over and over again. She kept nodding and nodding, getting more frustrated.

But the guy had a point.

Keiko looked at him, they were in agreement. She started in on the first chords and took it from there, Haido was supposed to come in on the next eight count. She hoped they eventually got it right.

Tohma watched carefully. "He's not very quiet once he starts playing, is he?"

Haido came in half a note sooner then before, dropping an entire section of raindrop notes and coming in with something completely new. It was still the same rhythm, the same notes, really, but they went low, then high, slowing down just enough to match the guitar and the vocals no one was singing.

He'd obviously heard the song a lot.

Taki shook his head. "No... Music is the only thing I've seen bring that kid to life." Stuffing his hands in his pockets, Taki stood. "What do you think? This change going to help?"

It gave the song a different sound, but they'd need to hear Kenji's vocals to be sure it would work. That was the problem with changing music. Everything had to come together, or the project was dropped.

This could easily get the song dropped and pushed back, not that it was a high priority anyway.

Tohma thought about it for a moment, listening to the new sound. Coming in earlier certainly helped, and the changes could hide better any off moments. No band was absolutely perfect, of course.

"It works better," the blond finally said.

He leaned over hitting the intercom button yet again. "That will do. Sonoda-san. Vocals if you would."

He let go and crossed his arms, looking thoughtfully at the group before him. Could they do it? Well... would they do it?

Oh, vocals now? Kenji snorted as he stood, slipping past Haido and Keiko toward the microphone. He took it up in one hand again, glancing at Keiko, then Haido.

Taki raised a brow, actually a little impressed. "He listens to you better then he does me." He commented, glancing at Tohma out of the corner of his eye. He couldn't wait until Kenji was comfortable in the building and around Tohma.

Then Tohma would get the same crap he did.

Taki watched as Haido shook out his hands, as if they were cramped. He would have to check on the player. He didn't want those hands to break, or any other thing. They couldn't afford it, even signed with NG.

"Have you told some stories about me, Taki?" Tohma asked teasingly.

He wasn't at all impressed that he got responses. Though it might wear off after a while. Seeing as one should always be comfortable where they worked, Tohma liked to make sure his employees were no exception to that rule. Once in that lull, Tohma found his authority meant little.

Keiko looked slightly relieved at no longer having to work out the same stuff and having Haido get in her face. She eased into a smile as she looked and made sure every one was ready.

Tohma pressed the button. "Start from the second chorus, please."

Taki shook his head no, "They only know I've worked with you before because of ASK." That was a hard time for him to remember. He didn't want to remember it, not now. Not when he had another chance at something knew. "The only stories they know are the ones that are published."

He turned to face Tohma, this time, expression saying clearly that it was a good thing they only knew the published stories. Taki had some stories for them that could keep them up at night, if they'd seen the reality.

As far as the public, and Opium, were concerned, ASK had fallen apart because of inner-band feuds. And that was all they needed to know, until Taki deemed it necessary that they hear anything else.

Tohma looked at Taki with a blank face. He stood by everything he'd said to the ex singer. He hadn't thought his actions had been too much, or that Taki hadn't deserved it.

"Hm, well, all for the best then," the blond said flatly.

He looked back at Opium, who were giving one last check with each other. Keiko nodded to a beat to herself and on a count, she started playing the first few chords. Everything was working so far.

"Would you like to take a seat, Taki?" Tohma asked politely. "I noticed your legs tend to be... oversensitive, shall we say?"

Just as Kenji's had before, Taki's anger flared in the same manner. At first, his eyes went wide with the shock that Tohma would even... even suggest... And then they narrowed as he reminded himself that he was dealing with the ultimate bastard from hell. He should have expected it.

"I'm fine." Taki ground out through gritted teeth, anger-narrowed eyes turning back to the band. He noticed, through the fog in his mind, that they were starting at the beginning of the song. And he found that he just didn't give a damn.

Already. So early in the job, too. What a disappointment.

Kenji listened to the changes, the way the song felt to him. It was different, but still somehow alike. He glanced back at Haido as he sang, much of his attention focused on the dark haired man behind him.

Sensible, work-focused Haido. Music was the only thing he knew about him. They'd met in a music class, and their entire friendship was based around the band. Kenji's curiosity about him was only growing.

"Of course," Tohma said smoothly, taking a seat himself. "I'd just rather not have you standing this whole time."

The blond glance at the clock. Half an hour, a little more. Depending on how many songs there were, Tohma would preferably like to work on nearly half the songs before letting them break. Though, when he meant work on the songs, he wanted them perfected. Ready to be recorded, if not done so already.

"After all, I may be working them for quite some time. You, of course, are more than willing to take any breaks as need be, Taki," Tohma said sweetly. "Since you have me around, I can handle things while you're not around. I just want to make sure you're comfortable working here again, Taki."

Keiko glanced at Kenji who always should've been happy when he was singing. But... his attention was on something other than his words. How odd...

Taki's fingers curled into fists in his pockets, and he didn't care how obvious it was. That was it. He knew Tohma was doing it on purpose, rubbing in the fact that Taki had signed a contract that willingly gave away half of his control over Opium, that put him back under the very bastard he'd been avoiding.

Tohma was doing it on purpose, but he couldn't help his reactions. Not when Tohma was so good at pushing the buttons he had kept covered until then.

Dammit.

Kenji's voice stopped for the instrumental 'solo,' which was really Haido and Keiko playing together. He was clearly distracted, either listening to the music or thinking thoughts that were too deep to be shown on his face.

Whichever it was, he jerked himself back to reality in time to swing the microphone back towards his mouth and start up on the second chorus, which he'd heard so many times now he almost hated it.

If Tohma had been keeping score, it would've been an obvious lead in his favor. But he liked things that way. He liked the lull things went through, the nice little calm, and then the upset all behind the mask of a smile.

It was thoroughly entertaining.

But now it was time for that lull to come over between them once again. Tohma waited patiently, watching Opium from behind the glass, hands folded neatly in his lap.

Keiko was mostly focused on her instrument during the solo, but she was able to catch how Kenji nearly missed his entrance back into the song. What was going on with him today?

Taki hadn't sat down in hours, and he could feel it in his joints as he moved. They'd gone through the song until it was perfected, even though it was supposed to be a warm up. He could hear Kenji grumbling as the band left the room for their break, going on about how it seemed like they would never get a break, and how he was so sick of that song.

Kenji wasn't the only one, but Taki let it pass. He was sick of a lot of things in this room.

_Author's Notes: Yet another chapter that's just leading up to the good stuff. This one was just a set up chapter for what's to come. You'll see._

_Drop us a line!_

_SL_


	10. Chapter 10

_Disclaimer: We only own the Opium and its characters._

_Author's Notes: This one is a little short. If we had planned it out chapter by chapter, this would be longer, but it made more sense to start and end it here. I have a feeling there will be a lot of small chapters every once in a while. We didn't know we were gonna share this with this public until we realized how much work we put into it._

_And now that it's my job to break up chapters, I'll be doing it as I see fit! YAY! _

_See, I like a lot of drama and angst and suspense. I'll be making these chapters in a way that I think best brings out those qualities that I like. It doesn't mean I'll always be right on, though. When we would cut to different scenes, we'd use a little marks, but sometimes, where we'd cut wouldn't make sense for a chapter. So, as this story goes on, it'll take longer to figure out._

_Thanks for being patient!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Ten_

"I'll be back after I eat." He told Tohma (or was it warned?) as he left, legs stiff from the hours of standing still. His joints protested at every step, but he ignored it, heading for the elevators with coffee envisioned in his mind.

"Of course," Tohma said with a nod. "Everyone, please be back within a half an hour, forty-five minutes at the most. We have so much more to do."

And didn't he just sound so gleeful about it? Well, why shouldn't he? After all, it was all for the greater good in the long run. The blond left after they had all gone, going up to his office where he had his lunch ready and waiting. Nothing big since he planned only to take the half hour option and be waiting for the band to return.

"Kenji...," Keiko drawled pleasantly, innocently even, as she walked beside him. "Oh Kenji darling... I wanted to know if maybe you had something on your mind today."

Kenji's eyes widened behind strings of red hair, and he glanced at Haido, who was several steps in front of them as he shook his head. "Why would I have something on my mind?"

And... what. He hoped she didn't find out what. He couldn't help it, though! Splitting his attention between watching Taki and Tohma, Haido, and singing, something was bound to suffer! And it was neither of the first two.

Kenji suddenly felt too warm for his own skin, and with a sinking sensation, he realized he was blushing.

Keiko nearly stopped in her tracks. A little butterball he was no more, but blushing! And worse than the time she'd stumbled upon his porn. It took her a moment to regain her train of thought and continue the interrogation.

"Well... you seem awfully distracted during the practice, babe," she pointed out, though gently now. "It takes a lot to keep you away from singing, unless you're being a baby. So what's up?"

There had to be something, anything that she wasn't being told. And she hated that. She was always privy to his personal information.

Kenji stopped in the middle of the hallway, bringing up one hand to push it through his hair. A strange action, because he was normally so fastidious about his hair.

This was Kei. He could tell her anything, he knew that. She'd be mad at him if he didn't tell, but... it was strange, and he wasn't entirely sure he liked the curiosity that had built up within him. It burned and clawed for satisfaction, but he just didn't know how to do it.

"It's nothing important. Just..." He looked awkward, hand slipping down to rub the back of his neck. He jerked his head toward Haido, who was far ahead of them by now.

Keiko followed the direction in which Kenji jerked his head. All she saw was the back of their little synth player. Haido. Nothing special. Maybe he'd accidentally pissed Kenji off during rehearsal?

"Juuuuuuuuust... just what?" she asked, stumped. "Just mad? Just annoyed? Just ticked off? Just worried?"

Keiko didn't see anything wrong with Haido or how he worked.

"He's just doing his job, don't take it personally."

Giving her a flat eyed stare, Kenji shook his head. She really wasn't getting it. "If I was mad, you would have known." He slipped his hands into his pockets, glancing around the hall because really, anyone could hear them if they came by.

"I don't know him, Kei. Like... really know him. And I want to, and that's weird." His brow furrowed, and for once, he was giving her a genuine look of desperate confusion.

He really didn't know what to do.

"That is weird, right?" Just to make sure.

Keiko looked confused for a moment, just staring at Kenji before hesitantly shaking her head. Man, this certainly wasn't what she had been expecting.

"Uh, you asked him to join... I figured it was all you wanted to know about him. He could play," she said cautiously. "But... I mean, if you want to get to know him better, you should. After all, we're with him for two years, right?"

But it wasn't weird. Sure Kenji was self absorbed, but to a point. Maybe it finally hit him that the three of them would be stuck with each other for real. No longer some little garage band.

"Yeah..." Kenji sighed, brow still furrowed. "I guess so."

He wasn't entirely sure Keiko was understanding, but he knew it was because he didn't understand either. It was weird, though, he knew that. There was no denying it, because this curiosity was not like normal curiosity. It burned and itched, making him uneasy as he tried to work.

_Author's Notes: Kenji was just plain silly to me. I had the role of Keiko, and Kel had the role of Kenji. After we realized they'd have a more important role, we divvied up the band between us. Passing Haido back and forth until I wound up with him in the end, because it made sense. _

_Kenji, to me, seemed like the kind of guy you'd be taking care of the rest of your life. Babied and rotten at times, sweet and childlike at others. But when I look closer, I realized that Keiko was the exact same way in her own style. They complimented and fit each other in the way that only best friends could. They have their own way of doing things, and take liberties that most people wouldn't normally take with each other._

_On the inside, he's still that cowering little fat boy, looking for his hero. Keiko did her best. But she turned out to be more of a parent than anything else. And every parent has to let their kids go at some point._

_Or lock them in the closet. Which I wouldn't put past Keiko to do to Kenji at all._

_And onward to the development of the third member of Opium. Haido. It's always the quiet ones._

_SL_


	11. Chapter 11

_Disclaimer: We own nothing but the characters of the made up band Opium._

_Author's Notes: This is where the tension boils. Inner band conflict and worry, not to mention out two ex band members Tohma and Taki._

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Eleven_

Standing for four hours had not been intelligent of him. Taki could admit it, but not aloud. He had started back up the stairs, and his knee gave out, sending him down hard on the steps.

It wasn't the first time it had happened. He'd collapsed on the steps to his apartment once, and getting out of the car... It was normal things that did it. Like standing.

He was seated now, leg stretched out in front of him. He should have taken the elevator, but he was stubborn and impatient. And irritated.

That irritation only grew when he heard a familiar voice coming up the steps. Kenji rounded the corner with Keiko and stifled a laugh as he caught sight of Taki. He managed to wipe the grin off his face when he received a dark glare, and stopped a step above his manager.

"Dude... do you need help?"

Taki glared as he looked up at Kenji. "I'll be fine."

Shaking his head, the singer and guitarist continued up, Kenji humming to himself as they went.

Keiko still looked puzzled as she let the conversation drop. What was going on with everyone? What was going on with Kenji? She figured as long as he kept singing, it couldn't be too bad, right?

Right.

x

Tohma was seated back in the recording room after half an hour exactly. He was slightly disappointed to see the place empty, but paid it no mind. After all, the band was young. Though Taki certainly should've been here, no? Wouldn't the manager know best to arrive early rather than later? Especially after all the times he'd been late or close to it before.

He sighed quietly. Well, he had given them forty-five minutes tops. They could indulge in that if they wished. A few more minutes of boredom, and then Opium arrived noisily through the door. Keiko trying to hit Kenji for something he must've said.

"Sonoda-san?" Tohma asked, getting the singer's attention. "Where is Aizawa-san? He seems to be late."

Kenji was grinning as he shied away from Keiko's blows, dodging around her and into the room. His attention shifted as Tohma asked him a question, and Keiko landed a solid blow to his shoulder. Wincing, Kenji shrugged.

"He's on the stairs. Wouldn't let me help him up." Idiot.

Keiko grinned victoriously and stopped to let him talk to Tohma, heading back into the practice room with Haido. She didn't really care where Taki was. They had the deal already, she was happy with it.

Tohma raised an eyebrow at the answer from Kenji. Taki was on the stairs? As in, fallen down them? Collapsed on them?

No, no... his legs, of course. His remark had caused Taki to remain standing the whole practice. They must've given out because taking the elevator would've been to easy for him.

"Alright. Thank you. Please start working on the next song and I'll be back shortly," the blonde said, getting up from his seat and exiting.

Ah, bullheaded Taki. He certainly hadn't changed in the least. Tohma wasn't smiling though as he traveled down the stairs, taking them carefully one at a time. Eventually, Taki's form came into view. He stopped on the stair he was sitting on, slipping his hands into his pockets.

"Comfortable?"

"No." Taki said flatly, looking over at Tohma from the corner of his eye.

He was waiting for it now. The comment. The one that said he should have listened and sat down, or something about not being able to properly do his job because of his health condition.

Health condition. It sounded so serious. He was fine! It was just his damn legs. It wasn't like he could help it.

Alright, he could help it. He could have sat down, given them a break, but that would have proved Tohma right. He couldn't do that. He wasn't going to work in a place where he was constantly on edge, and Tohma was putting him on edge.

One of them would have to give a little, and it certainly wasn't going to be him.

Tohma sighed, smiling a little. Same old Taki. It seemed as though he would never change no matter how many years. It was almost comforting. He was surprised at how much he was glad about that. He was surprised at how much Taki didn't try to kill him or avoid him.

"Would you like some help? I have the band rehearsing the next song, so we do have some time if you'd like to wait a bit," the blonde said.

He wasn't using the word 'rest', or anything to suggest that Taki was injured or weak. Just offering a friendly hand to a coworker.

"I'm fine." Taki protested stubbornly, but he didn't try to get up. How pathetic was it that he didn't trust his own legs to support his weight? He didn't even weigh that much. It wasn't that he kept himself purposefully thin, he ate anything put in front of him, it was simply that he had a fast acting metabolism.

He hadn't gained or lost more then a few pounds since high school. He wasn't concerned about it. He hadn't grown any, either.

It was actually irking that Tohma was an inch taller then him. The man could seem so small, but Taki was keenly aware of their height difference whenever he had to stand next to the man.

"Of course," Tohma agreed with a slight nod.

He crouched down, hands out of his pockets, and eased himself on the step next to Taki. He rested his arms on his knees, lacing his gloved fingers together and sat in silence for a few moments.

Taki would not accept his help. Was Tohma being egotistical? After all, a part of him did think he had helped by pushing him in front of the car. A portion of him thought he was helping a great deal by offering him the contract. Now this.

He'd always been looking out for Taki in the long run it seemed.

"Taki," Tohma said finally. "I can understand if you still hate me, but do you have to be so stubborn with everything I offer?"

A valid question.

"Understand?" Taki couldn't help himself, voice indignant. "Have you ever sat in a hospital bed, wondering when the doctors are going to tell you you can't use your legs anymore? Have you ever seen car headlights barreling at you, and knowing as you fell that they wouldn't stop?"

There was no stopping it. He'd been waiting for this for two fucking years.

"Of course you haven't. You have no fucking idea, so don't tell me you understand. I'm just getting back up on my feet, at least metaphorically, because you were the one who pushed me off them in the first place." Taki's eyes were narrowed, and he was undeniably angry.

And all because of one, little word.

Understand. Ha!

"It was your offer that started this. You kept it going. Don't even start to blame me for carrying it on. Without your shove in the right direction, this would have never happened, and you wouldn't have to be asking me stupid questions like this!"

He looked over at Taki, nothing written on his face. He looked calm and capable. He wished he had a drink though. Tohma had to pick his words carefully from now on it seemed. No problem. Nothing a little extra thought couldn't help.

"Taki, I assure you that I don't completely and fully understand your anguish," the blond explained carefully. "What I said, was that I understood your reasons for hating me."

Yes, to use the word 'understand' again may cost him, but it was necessary.

"Now, let me try again. I'm not blaming you for anything. Did I say that before? I'm sorry if I did. All I wanted to know, was if there was some way we could smooth things over," Tohma said calmly. "It's outbursts like these that I would like to avoid. I want you to do the work I give you willingly. If you'd rather not, I can sign your band off. I will refer you to other companies willingly if this is what you choose."

He looked at Taki directly.

"I want to make it so you can work here and accept things without being so stubborn. Even the littlest of things."

Like being offered a seat.

Taki's eyes hardened, and he reached up to use the rail attached to the wall to pull himself up. It took more effort then he cared to admit, muscles protesting the movement with everything they had. "I have to get back to work."

Leaving NG. It would be tempting, but there was a band that would never forgive him. He didn't particularly care about the way they felt, he reminded himself, he just didn't want to listen to them whine.

But a free ticket away from Tohma. It was almost too much.

He forced himself to take even steps up the stairs, holding onto the rail as he went. As much as he would never say it, he had no trust in himself to hold his own weight. Not after how many times his legs had collapsed out from under him, though it was normally from too much use.

The problem was, he didn't give himself a break. It was obvious enough from that morning. He'd known he needed to sit down, take the pressure off his joints, but he hadn't. He'd stayed upright, without a brace on his knee, and it had cost him later.

It was costing him now, too, as he reached the floor as started toward the corner.

_Author's Notes: There's nothing like an old fashioned drama queen Taki to get the real conflicts off and rolling. Sometimes, with my Tohma, I do things without thinking why I did them. I don't remember planning to have Taki collapse with Kel, but it seemed to work out for the best. I wonder how this makes Tohma see. Did he try to wear Taki down on purpose? Maybe he did. I'm not really sure. _

_Either way, I'm sure Tohma could've done worse if he wanted to._

_SL_


	12. Chapter 12

_Disclaimer: We own… ah, crap. You guys know by now._

_Author's Notes: Chapter twelve! What an accomplishment. I guess. I still have so many more chapters to make and then go over again. I writers work is never done. O Sigh! Anyways, enjoy!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Twelve _

Tohma sighed, but let him go on his own. Stubborn no matter what. Sometimes Tohma wondered if any of it was worth the effort. He would certainly like to think so, and yet...

It seemed as though his help was always wasted. No, not wasted, but shunned.

He cupped his chin in his hand and smiled slightly. Dear Taki... what will become of him? The bullheadedness had certainly gotten him this far, but as the song went 'we all need a little help, from our friends'.

One day, Tohma supposed. One day he would accept help.

The blond got to his feet, dusting himself off from invisible motes of dirt and started up the stairs.

x

"So, Aizawa-san, I regretfully have to inform you that I can no longer hold such a personal position with you and your band," Tohma said to the entire band collected in the meeting room he had called them into a week after their first practice. "Rest assured, the work I've done with you already is most likely more than enough for you to keep going on, and I will be checking in periodically like I do with all my bands. I'm sorry if this will be making things harder for you, but I have full confidence that you can handle things on your own."

Tohma smiled at all of them pleasantly, giving a small shrug.

"Personal matters have come up, and I can no longer invest such personal time into one band. I hope you all can understand this. Any questions?"

Taki was forcing himself to keep his face blank, because if he didn't, it would be giving away the frustration he'd been suppressing for days. He should have expected it. Tohma was so fucking fickle. He picked up a band, and then dropped them as if they weren't worth the effort.

It was sick.

"No, sir." Taki managed a smile, somehow managing not to break his face while he did it. "I'm sure we'll be fine. I'll be sure to keep you updated on our progress."

Updated, his ass. Tohma could come get an update if he wanted one.

"Be sure that you do, Aizawa-san," Tohma said pleasantly. "I will have little time to come and get such things myself."

Was any of it true? To a point. He was acquiring quite a workload from just the week he'd spent with Opium. Paperwork and record deals, signings and show dates... It all had started to get a tad overwhelming. In fact, he did have another meeting to get to with another band after this.

In actuality though, Tohma was more or less applying another lesson. A subtle form of help. Taki knew what it was like to work with a band in a small time format. This was the big games. Could handle the strict schedules and timelines set for each and every section of their lives?

Or...

Or would he just have to ask for help?

"Well, I'll be seeing you soon, no doubt. Feel free to stop by my office at any time for anything. Good afternoon," the blond said, putting an end to the meeting finally.

Taki stood and barely nodded before he was heading for the door. Tohma was either turning into more of a flake then he remembered, or he was doing this on purpose. Giving him just enough time to get used to having more then three people around, and then leaving.

Sick bastard.

He left, listening to the sounds of Kenji, Haido, and Keiko getting out of their seats. Dimly, he heard the sound of Kenji nudging Keiko hard enough to make her yelp.

Kenji didn't seem to mind, though, dragging Keiko close to whisper something in her ear. "Did you see that? He was doing the death glare at Seguchi again!"

He was going through phases, though neither plan left his mind for long. They were simply distractions from each other, the mystery behind Taki's history with Tohma, and Haido.

Haido. Kenji could have sighed. He had absolutely no idea what to do.

Keiko rubbed her side. That hurt! She rolled her eyes as Kenji tried to, yet again, prove that there was something worth investigating between Taki and Tohma. What a freak.

"Fine! We'll work on finding an ASK member after practice today, okay?" she hissed back, trying to elbow him.

Haido was listening to everything with only half an ear with everything. More or less, the few things on his mind were music and his random thoughts. He cared little for the people around him, he'd always been somewhat of a loner.

It kind of kept him more occupied and able to keep focused.

His father had walked out on him and his mother when he was barely turning thirteen. After all this time, Haido wasn't sure if he was angry or not. It was a little hard to tell seeing as how his emotion felt a little washed out all the time.

And yet... there seemed to be something that had sparked him lately. Something other than music.

Kenji.

He glance over the obnoxious boy, and though he was continually roughhousing with his female friend, certainly there must've been room to add him in. After all, Kenji had asked him to join the band out of the blue one day. And each day that went by, Haido could honestly say it wasn't as interesting unless Kenji was around doing something. He was just... interesting.

Kenji's grin could have split a brick. One long arm wrapped around Keiko's shoulders for a half hug as they walked. "Okay. Let's go practice, then!" He started pulling her after Taki, who was already far down the hall.

He glanced back, though, and caught a dark gaze with his own. The stare lasted for only a second before he forced himself to look forward again, grin gone from his face.

It was back to confusion, in under a full second.

Haido just did that to him. The curiosity burned and ate at him, digging deep into his stomach and burrowing there. It was uncomfortable, and it made him itch, want to do something about it.

But how could he if he didn't know how to start a conversation with him? Asking him to join the band had been easy. All he'd had to do was ask, no preamble. But a conversation?

_Author's Notes: We finally have something from Kel! Here's her personal insight on Kenji._

**_Kenji started out as an accident. Especially his name. I don't like making characters with names of people I know, because I always end up trying to write the person instead of the character. It was awkward, and that sort of shows in the first few chapters he's in. I was trying really hard to make him something he wasn't. _**

But, all Kenji was supposed to be was the loser Taki could beat up on when he was having a bad day. I didn't mean for Kenji to turn into a main part of the plot, or to develop an obsession with Iceman (my favorite band ever, by the way), or to end up looking very much like a skinnier, gay version of Kenichi Ito (see Iceman).

I think, actually, that this story started out to be an angst filled one shot for Taki and Tohma. The next however many chapters are a product of some seriously cracked up ideas, and probably not enough sleep.

I'm pretty sure I was only supposed to write about Kenji, but I forgot how to write an effective author's note.

_And that's Kel for you ladies and gents. She's so optimistic, isn't she? . And now, the plot thickens!_

_SL_


	13. Chapter 13

_Disclaimer: We only own the made up members of Opium!_

_Author's Notes: Ah, this is where Kel and I realized that Opium had taken on a life of its own. This is kinda where we knew our one shot couldn't be salvaged. In the end, I don't think I was sad to see it go. I can't speak for Kel._

_Enjoy!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Thirteen _

Keiko walked out of the practice room, clearly agitated and immensely annoyed. What the hell had gotten up Taki's ass? She was almost inclined to believe that Kenji's theory (whatever the hell it was) may hold some weight. Or... a little tiny bit more than she'd given it credit.

"I'm havin' a smoke!" She shouted behind her, not caring how rude it sounded. "Kenji, I'll find you later!"

She went over to the elevator, punched the down button and got in when it came to the floor.

Haido was fine tuning a little part of a song they had just practiced, large headphones only covering one ear. Taki had seemed... odd to say the least, but he wasn't bothered by it. Keiko had certainly seemed to be more than pissed off with him though.

On the other side of the glass, Kenji watched as Taki glared at the door. There was something seriously wrong with their manager, he decided. Seriously, mentally fucked up. He was like, in a permanent bad mood. No one could seriously be that pissed off for over eight hours straight.

It was unreal. Kenji had never seen anything like it in his life.

If they'd thought Tohma was a slave driver, they'd been wrong. Taki was worse, making them repeat the songs over and over again. Even Kenji had kept his mouth shut, just doing as they were told to get it over with.

But now practice was over, and he didn't have to listen anymore. It was only him and Haido on the studio side of the glass, and Haido was working.

Kenji wasn't, and he was bored.

Bored, and too curious for his own good.

Moving away from the microphone, Kenji moved over to the synth, shoving his hands in his pockets and rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet in front of it. Haido wasn't looking up, so he leaned forward, looking down at the keys. "What're you working on?"

He tried to ignore the explosion of nervousness in his stomach, making him feel sick.

He listened closely to the recorded beat. He counted it out in his head. He listened in on the guitar, where his next beat came in, Kenji's cue. Good, good, good... off.

He paused it. Rewound and played it back.

Haido felt someone leaned near him and he slid his eyes over, catching sight of shocking red. He did feel a small spike in his heartbeat. Then again, seeing the color red is known to make your adrenaline levels rise on an instant. Nothing big.

He looked fully at Kenji, blinking. "What?"

Kenji's eyes widened as he looked up from the keys and into Haido's face. It would have been innocent, save for him just being the way he was. He couldn't pull off innocent worth shit.

He leaned back, settling down onto his feet again. "What are you doing?"

Sometimes, he doubted his own sanity. He'd started a conversation, and he didn't know what to say. It was a stupid question, and what would happen if it annoyed Haido? What if he had some sort of spastic temper that came out with stupid questions?

Well, he was used to Keiko. It couldn't be too bad.

"Fixing track eight, first chorus," Haido replied, looking back towards his instrument, turning it off so he could give his full attention to Kenji.

It was the only polite thing to do.

"So, do you think Aizawa-san is going to be like this from now on since Seguchi-san has decided to remove himself from the group?" Haido asked quietly as he removed his headphones, setting them on the machine.

It was a fair question, to say the least.

Haido was quiet, even when he spoke. Kenji thought it was strange. He was only quiet when he was asleep or thinking, otherwise he was constantly making noise. It was strange, and still... intriguing.

The curiosity only grew.

Shrugging thin shoulders, Kenji glanced through red hair toward the glass. Taki had left the room, and he looked back at Haido. "I don't know. He's freaking crazy. I've never met a man who needs therapy more then Taki."

They'd have to pay for the shrink's therapy, though. Kenji didn't think anyone would be able to live through an hour session with Aizawa Taki and come out completely sane.

Haido smiled slightly, shaking his head. "To put it bluntly, I suppose."

What a strange thought process Kenji had. Then again, no one said he was normal. He hadn't stuck Haido as that type in class at all. But it made him more interesting, which was good.

"So," Haido said with a bit of settling finality. "Why the sudden urge to strike up conversation?"

Quiet, but Haido had a nice smile. It took Kenji by surprise, and he found himself wanting to see a real one.

"I don't know..." He shrugged awkwardly, glancing away from Haido's eyes because he couldn't keep up the stare.

If nothing else, though, Keiko's reasoning would come in handy. "I just figured, we've got to spend the next two years together. We might as well try to get to know each other."

He glanced up at Haido again, one brown eye hidden behind the red of his hair. And that was just fine with him.

Haido kept his face even, though he wanted to show a looked of... amused disbelief. Just because they were in a band, Kenji wanted to get to know him now? They'd gone through years of school without all that. And the way he avoided eye contact and looked at him like that?

Perhaps there was something more?

Or maybe Haido was looking a tad too much into things.

"That's true," he agreed. "Well then, why don't we go to the break room? Get some coffee. It's better than staying around here. Aizawa-san might come back."

Haido smiled a little more, showing it was a little joke.

Kenji had always laughed easily. It was a habit he'd kept on through childhood, and it came into play now. He pulled a hand from his pocket, pushing his hair back subconsciously as a smile played over his lips.

"Good point. I wouldn't mind getting away from him for awhile." Kenji stepped back, away from the synth and toward the door.

He wouldn't mind a little more time with Haido, either. He wondered how long Keiko could nurse a cigarette. He hoped it was a long time.

Maybe she would get distracted, and he would have more time. Yeah. He could hope.

Haido moved away from the machine as well, cracking his fingers and shaking his hands out before following Kenji to the door. He had to admire something about the singer though... he was... kinda cute.

In a dorky way.

Haido didn't mind openly assessing a male in his mind. He'd owned up to his own sexuality long ago. He was comfortable with it, but that didn't mean he had to announce it either. If it came up, it came up. That was his philosophy.

"Do you think we should go find Takashi-san would like to join us?" he asked politely, opening the door.

They could make it a little band thing then.

Kenji was stretching as he left the room, arm above his head and movements loose. He pushed up the violently red hair at the back of his neck, shaking his head as his arms lowered again.

"No... She doesn't like it when I interrupt her nicotine intake." It was true, too, but that wasn't why Kenji was against it.

There was not a single moment in their conversation that he really understood. He didn't want Keiko with them. It was almost as if... he wanted Haido to himself. All to himself, with no one else to take away his time.

Trying to understand it made his head hurt, and Kenji was happy enough to let it be.

Haido smiled, nodding in understanding. "She seemed more than a little pissed off today. I wouldn't want to bother her either."

That made perfect sense to him at least. Angry females weren't exactly fun. Especially since you couldn't hit them back. It could be just the two of them. Keiko could join them another time. No one could be that scarily pissed off forever.

"So, what do you thi-" he was cut off by someone calling out Kenji's name from down the hall.

"Kenji, move your ass! You wanna do this thing, let's go now before I lose patience with you," Keiko shouted. It sounded as though she had already lost her cool.

Kenji groaned, shooting a pained glance at Haido. She was going to hit him, he knew it. "I'm sorry..." He sighed, already taking a step back. It didn't even occur to him as strange that he'd apologized.

He never apologized.

"I've got to go. She's going to kill me, but... We can get coffee later, right?" He tried to keep the hope from his voice, and reminded himself that it was only because he really liked coffee.

Yeah.

Haido stopped walking, looking over his shoulder at Keiko. She was slightly intimidating. It was rather frightening to say the least. But Kenji was still offering to spend a little time with him outside of work, which was certainly interesting.

"Uh, of course," he said, waving him off to go with their other bandmate. But something hit him. "Oh, wait! If you want to meet up later, would you like my number?"

Keiko was starting towards the two, looking how a bull must as it gains speed when charging. It was slightly cartoonish.

"Um... yeah." Kenji glanced at Keiko from the red covered eye and winced, digging in his pocket and pulling out a small flip phone. On impulse, he shoved it in Haido's hands. "Just... program it in, okay? I'll get it back from you tomorrow."

He offered Haido a hurried smile, backing away again, though it put him closer to Keiko. "I'll see you tomorrow!"

And, he was off, turning around to catch Keiko around the waist and pick her up as they went down the hall.

Haido stared at the small phone in his hands, almost unsure if he should keep it, or run after them and return it. What if he missed an important call because of this? Well... then technically it would be Kenji's fault. Not that he wanted to pass blame, but he was only human.

"Bye," Haido said, still staring at the phone. Well, he may as well do as he was asked. He flipped it up punching in his number and snapped it shut when he was done, slipping the phone into his pocket.

_Author's Notes: Here's where we get into Haido. At this point, he was mine completely to use as I wanted. Suddenly I have this little nothing of a guy who didn't stand out like the others, and he was supposed to do something other than say 'Yes, sir' 'no, sir'?_

_I did my best at first. I gave a rough back story for Haido's life. It wasn't very good, but I don't want to change it in the least. I like showing the progress of the work. We can see here, that Haido seems to come off as sweet. Naïve even. _

_Just keep watching him, folks. Trust me on this one._

_Drop us a line! _

_SL_


	14. Chapter 14

_Disclaimer: Blah blah blah, Opium, blah._

_Author's Notes: During these next few chapters, we'll see a lot of conflict all at once. With Opium and with Tohma and Taki._

_I can't write too much here without giving a lot away. So, enjoy!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Fourteen_

"Put me down you sonofabitch!" Keiko yelled, struggling to get away from Kenji. "I can walk! See my legs and feet?!"

Why wouldn't he put her down? Why did he pick her up? And where was he taking her?!

"I see them." Kenji had swung her up and over his shoulders, holding her up by her knees. She'd almost kicked him in the face a few times. "It's just easier this way, though."

He was being intentionally happy, because he knew it would piss her off more then anything.

Hey, he thought she deserved it. He'd been about to go get coffee with Haido, and he didn't quite get why that was so important he had to do this. But, he wouldn't question. It was just easier if he let it go.

She made a noise of surprise and started pounding on his back as he walked them down the corridor. Keiko eventually stopped, though she wasn't any less angry, and from time to time, she tried to nail him in the face again.

"Alright you little shit, fine," she said, crossing her arm over his back. "But then I'm NOT telling you what I found out."

There. It wasn't as though she hadn't done something to help Kenji on his crazy ass theory.

Crazy ass theory she was buying into a bit...

In seconds, Keiko was in Kenji's arms like one would hold a child. He was giving her his most charming smile, even with his hair pushed into his face.

"Kei-chan..." He threw in the honorific for good measure. "What did you find out?"

She'd found out something? Aw, that meant she was going to really help him! That was sooooo nice. Of course, when it came to Kei, she could very well just be getting him off her back.

Again, she made a loud noise of surprise, and crossed her arms over her own chest this time as she was cradled. Why, why, why did Kenji have to be a little taller than her? And it wasn't by much either!

In her world.

Keiko snorted, turning her head away from Kenji, blonde-orange hair flying over her shoulder.

"I might tell you... if we go out to eat," she considered, pausing. "Your treat."

Kenji set her down on her feet, his hands heavy on her shoulders. He sighed, "Fine. Where do you want to go?" They still needed to find a member of ASK! He wanted to know what the fuck was up Taki's ass, because he was totally sick of dealing with it.

Going out to eat would take too long.

Maybe they could get fast food. Yeah. That'd be good.

He knew she wouldn't go for it, though. And that sucked.

Keiko decided to go from bitch to cuddly in an instant. She leaned back against him, smiling up at him. Oh, she would make sure this would wind up agitating him. Absolutely.

"Sushi," she sang playfully. "You need to get us sushi! It's been so long since I've made you take me out."

Keiko's grin turned the whole playful facade sour. It was evil and demanding and it would be heard. She was just that way sometimes.

Kenji's smile was dropped like a particularly heavy brick, and he groaned. Sushi? That was expensive! He was still running on his last paycheck, and she knew it!

Oooh, she was doing it on purpose. He would so get her back for this.

"Alright. Sushi." He sighed, running a hand through his unkempt hair.

It was still mussed from when he'd been talking to Haido. He hadn't noticed then, and he didn't notice now, giving Keiko a careful shove forward. "Come on. We've got to be back before this place shuts down."

He knew how long it could take her to eat. Especially if she was being particularly slow.

She raised her arms in the air and cheered like a child who had won something would. "Yay! Sushi!"

Keiko laughed happily and turned around to face Kenji as they walked. Now everything was good again. Food made everything better. Or sleep. Or cigarettes. Okay, a lot of things made everything better, but sushi was great because she was hungry, she didn't want to pay, and she and Kenji could talk about his half assed theory on Taki and Tohma.

She went over and grabbed onto his arm so they walked side by side as she chanted 'sushi' over and over again gleefully.

Kenji let her lead him along, toward the door and out of the building. The chant of sushi was a little grating, but he knew that it was just because he was too easily annoyed.

Keiko knew it, too. That was probably why she was doing it.

Still, it was better to spend time with an obnoxiously happy Keiko, then a pissed off, nicotine addicted Keiko. Though, the nicotine addiction never did go away.

"Can we try to keep this relatively cheap?" He asked, though he knew it was pointless.

"How much do you want to know what I have to tell you?" Keiko asked teasingly. She knew he wanted to know badly, which, in turn, meant that it would cost him big.

"Don't worry," she cooed. "I'll share though!"

Keiko laughed at this, finding it very funny indeed. Though... she would share a little with Kenji. She loved him so she only did something like clean him out, out of love! Of course!

She led him around to a sushi place and stopped. "Feed me, Kenji-kun!" Keiko nearly shouted.

Kenji brought her into the restaurant, flicking her hard in the side for being such a brat. It was all good natured, though, because he could never be seriously mad at her. She was his best friend, he had no reason to push her away.

"Alright, freak." He gave her a push toward the menu, and the bar itself. "Order something."

He'd been right, though. She was being loud and obnoxious on purpose. Sometimes, walking around with Keiko was like being with a child. Other times, it was like traveling with a mother.

Either way, it was somehow painful.

She whined, rubbing her side as they sat. It wasn't her fault she was hungry! And it was technically his fault they were doing this anyways. If he didn't want to get involved with some crazy shit, it wouldn't've happened!

But just that thought made Keiko smile again. She pinched his arm, looking over the menu and ordering a few things. After all, Kenji was probably hungry too! He was always hungry.

"Okay, so," she said. "You wanted to find a member of ASK, right?"

Ow! Kenji glared as he rubbed his arm, trying to kick her discreetly under the table. "Yeah..." He scowled. "Did you find one of them?"

There were only three total, after all, and they always knew where Taki was. Usually because he was yelling at them, the crazy bastard. It gave Kenji a headache, and it made it hard for him to sing.

And then they got yelled at again for recording something that Taki dubbed "crappy."

It was a cruel, cruel world they lived in.

"Well," she drawled, averting her eyes. "I got some information on them. Basically... Taki was a bitch, Ma was a slut, and there was a keyboardist. Ken."

She poked around her food a bit in silence, eating a little before speaking again.

"Also, there were some weird things between them. Ma was a little... rough. Mostly with... uh, Taki," Keiko said, trying not to blush. That secretary had stories to tell! "Ken was kind of a background guy. Drifter."

After that, it was mostly gibberish. Girl talk.

"Rough with Taki?" Kenji made a face, shaking his head. "What were they, gay?" Somehow, he could see it. Taki was just enough of a whiney bastard to pull off queerdom and make it work.

It wasn't that Kenji necessarily had anything against gays. He just didn't understand how they could find other men attractive. Sure, he could look at a picture of a naked guy and point out some good features, but...

A face flashed in his head, and Kenji felt his heart leap.

It would make sense, he reasoned with himself. It... it would make a lot of sense. But, he liked women too much to be gay! And Haido wasn't very feminine. Maybe he was just going crazy. Yeah. That could do it.

He needed just as much therapy as Taki did.

She took a large bite of her food and nodded, eyes on her plate. Taki could be whatever he wanted. It didn't bother her. She didn't know how Kenji would react to things along those lines. It had never really come up with them.

Keiko swallowed and gasped slightly. Okay, it hadn't been a large bite, a huge bite.

"But, from the rumors going around, Ma went to America," she explained. "ASK had some major falling out. Something big between Taki and the band. But Ken is heard to still be around somewhere."

Kenji decided it would be easier to ignore the fact that Taki was gay. Much, much easier. Though, it could... could explain some things. About Seguchi and...

No way. That had to be impossible!

It was probably better that Ma was out of the country. They wouldn't have to deal with the guy who was rough. It would be easier to deal with a drifter then an aggressor.

"What do you think the chances are that Ken's still at NG?" That would be the first place to look, of course. Then, maybe after that, XMRJapan.

Keiko thought on the question for a moment, chewing thoughtfully. Well, what were the chances? It was... two years ago that ASK had their breakup. Give or take a few months. So, if after the break up, Ma left, Taki left and Ken was a drifter... where would he go?

"There's a good chance that Ken with N-G," she finally answered. "But don't get your hopes up. Asking for his schedule could be risky, and for all we know, he could be going by a different name now."

Had to think it all through.

"Well... the worst we could do is check and be wrong." Kenji shrugged, reaching across the table to steal some of Keiko's sushi. "If we have to, we can say the guy is like... my idol or something, and I had to see him because he was in the building."

Kenji shrugged one uncaring shoulder. So what if Ken was a synth player and not a singer? It didn't matter THAT much!

Details were boring anyway.

Keiko looked at him like he was the dumbest person on Earth. How did that make any sense whatsoever?!

"Get Haido to ask then," she suggested. "Having a singer idolize a keyboardist is too risky. Especially with Taki around us. If Haido wants a reason, tell him that you've always wanted meet him since you think the music is great, but you're afraid to do it yourself."

That, and Haido was polite enough to pull it off. Kenji would so totally and completely fuck it up.

Mentioning Haido aloud brought back Kenji's scowl. "I can't ask him to do that. I don't know him that well!" He gave her a look as if to say, "Thanks to YOU!"

He knew it wasn't true, though. They would have been interrupted anyway. It was only a coincidence that it was Keiko who did it.

Leaning back in his chair, he sighed. "Maybe I could ask him, but it would take a few days, at least. I've got to get my phone back from him tomorrow, then we're going to get coffee."

Well, it wasn't agreed on, but Kenji was sure Haido wouldn't object.

Keiko raised an eyebrow. He was going for coffee, and he gave Haido his phone? She really must've interrupted something. But hell... as far as Keiko knew, she'd been Kenji's only friend since they met. Vice versa, but she hadn't really minded.

Suddenly Kenji wanted to branch out.

"Uh... well, I didn't think you'd take my advice seriously," she said, clearing her throat. Had it even been advice? She couldn't remember. "But, uh... yeah, using Haido wouldn't be a bad thing. I'm sure he'd understand. Maybe even want to help if you... no, if we explained it."

Haido probably didn't speak Kenji, if she let Kenji explain everything, Haido would be confused.

"Maybe..." Kenji's brow furrowed. He had spent more then his fair share of life with Keiko. Enough to know how she acted when something was on her mind. Since they were twelve... It had nearly been seven years.

Still, he'd never been good at prying into the way Keiko felt. In his experience, if she wasn't going to tell him about it, it wasn't that important. So, he just had to sit back and wait for her to tell him.

Brushing a hand through his hair, he seemed to realize what a mess it had become and started to flatten it back into place. "Will you help me talk to him tomorrow?"

Keiko leaned over, smoothing his hair a bit. He wanted her help? Well, maybe something in Kenji hadn't changed after all. She smiled, leaning back into her seat.

"Of course!" she said, nodding. "Why wouldn't I help you?"

It was interesting though... now they were actually involving the whole band. They'd never bothered before, but suddenly Haido was going to be around. She wasn't sure if it was interesting or not. Weird.

"So, we want Haido in on everything?"

Kenji nodded, though he obviously wasn't entirely sure on his decision. Really, he'd only talked to Haido the once since asking him to join the band. That was their longest conversation, and bringing him in on everything...

Well, that was a big step.

"Yeah... If we're going to need his help, we might as well." He nodded again, just to seal it. It was just easier. And certainly more fair to Haido.

Kenji didn't know when 'fair' had become so important to him.

"Alright, tomorrow at practice then," Keiko said with a nod. "Until then, how about we call it a day, huh?"

She didn't want to think about anything else anymore tonight. Let things pan out as they were. She didn't feel like handling anything else tonight. She was lazy, couldn't be helped.

"Why'd you give him your phone?"

Kenji shrugged, pulling long legs up to sit cross-legged on the chair. He just had too much energy. If he didn't move, he'd get restless. "So he could program his number into it. It's not like we don't see him every day, so I'll be able to get it back."

He shrugged. It didn't seem like a big deal to him. Maybe he just trusted a little too easily, or Haido was simply inspiring a lot of trust, but he knew he would get his phone back.

Haido just didn't seem like the kind of person to run off with something.

"Hey, just asking," Keiko said, holding her hands up. Touchy touchy.

Kenji made it sound like she didn't find Haido trustworthy. The kid was quite, not a devil. Keiko didn't mind him at all. And hell, it was Kenji's phone. He could do what he wanted with it.

"Alright, so we'll all work together tomorrow," Keiko told him, nodding. "But c'mon, let's get outta here, okay? You can play videogames at my place if you want."

Just something to make this feeling go away. Something unsettling about all of this Haido talk from Kenji...

"Okay!" Kenji grinned, all but bouncing up out of his seat. He picked up Keiko's plate and brought it to the front for boxing, because he wasn't going to let a bunch of sushi go to waste.

Especially not when he was the one who had to pay for it.

Like Keiko would let it go to waste anyways! She followed after him, laughing as he nearly tripped over his own two feet in his enthusiasm. But hey, he may have to pay for the sushi, but she would pay for letting him come over and wreck her place for a few hours. That's how it worked.

_Author's Notes: These next few chapters will be the only time that Taki's past with Shuichi will ever be brought up. And it's brought up loosely at that. We name no specifics because there's no point. But when you go digging around in someone else's life, you're bound to find the dirty secrets._

_So, where does little Haido come to play in all this? Keep on reading and you'll find out._

_Please review!_

_SL_


	15. Chapter 15

_Disclaimer: We own Opium! YAY!_

_Author's Notes: This is so packed full of drama-y-ness, that it's about ready to explode!_

_Enjoy._

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Fifteen _

"I'm very sorry, Aizawa-san," Haido apologized, head bowed. His right hand was wrapped up from wrist to his middle, ring and pinky. He'd had an accident. Pretty big, but nothing serious.

He just couldn't play.

Keiko was walking back from the break room with Kenji (had to have his coffee, didn't he?) when they came across the sight of Haido apologizing to Taki.

"What's going on?" she asked, looking at the with a raised eyebrows.

Taki sighed, a long suffering sound as he turned away from the injured synth player. His arms crossed over his chest as he faced Keiko and Kenji, expression dark. "Haido burnt his right hand. We'll be put back on our schedule until it heals enough that he can play."

Either that, or they would have to find someone to stand in for him. Then they could pull the stand-ins recordings and replace them with Haido's. That could work, but it could ruin the band, and the songs.

Kenji's eyes were wide behind the white plastic lid of his coffee cup. "Is he okay?" His eyes narrowed as he realized he was asking Taki a question he knew he wouldn't get an answer for, and leaned around their manager to look at Haido. "Are you okay?"

Burnt his hand? Keiko frowned heavily at the next comment. It put them behind schedule now. Not good considering how hard Taki had been working them before. She sighed, crossing her arms. This fucking blew.

Haido nodded, not looking up yet. He felt horrible. He'd let band mates down in a moment of stupidity. How could he not feel like an idiot? He reached with his left hand into his pocket and brought out Kenji's cell phone.

"Here," he muttered, holding it out to him.

Kenji had always been a little more caring then it was appropriate for a Japanese man to be. For the longest time, his parents had tried to enforce more of the traditional values into him, but they'd never taken, and Kenji was all the more wild for it.

So, when Haido handed him back his phone, Kenji set down his coffee and hugged Haido instead. He wasn't thinking about it, he just did it. Kenji was the sort of person to hug a stranger if the mood came upon him.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Haido was shorter then he was, but not by much. He came up to about Kenji's nose.

Haido wasn't expecting a hug. Then again, he didn't even know until he felt himself pressed up against something, two arms holding him. He looked up a bit, spotting Keiko and Taki over his shoulder. He went to open his mouth, a breathless whoosh of air escaping. His vision blurred and he stepped out of Kenji's arms.

He accidentally wiped at his eyes with his bandaged hand, and hissed as is throbbed with pain. He quietly excused himself and left the room quickly, but didn't run.

Keiko let him pass without a fight, and looked at Kenji's back. She sighed and went over to him, hitting him in the back of the head.

"Whatever you did, apologize. We need him, remember?" she said in a low voice.

A hand immediately came up to rub the back of his head, but Kenji nodded slowly. "Yeah..."

He was confused though, he admitted to himself as he left the room to the sound of Taki's derisive snort. What had he done wrong? He'd just hugged him. Haido didn't seem so proper as to not know how to react.

It was a strange set of events, surely, but Kenji decided it was just easier to let it go as it would. Really, who was he to question when his life only had one set purpose? To fulfill a dream he never thought would come true.

But, here he was, walking down the hall in search of their synth player.

Keiko turned to Taki and shrugged, blowing the whole ordeal off. Wasn't her problem, now was it? Kenji had to fix whatever it was he broke.

Haido sniffled quietly, curling up in a chair in the break room. Sure, not the best place to go, but for some reason he had to get out. At least to compose himself. He didn't know why he'd started to cry to begin with!

"Stupid," he muttered. He even still had Kenji's phone! Damnit.

None of this was going right.

The bathrooms were empty, and the halls held no sign of Haido. Kenji was beginning to grow frustrated, scowling as he reached the break room. If Haido wasn't in here, he was turning back and giving up. The scowl melted, though, when he caught sight of Haido in the chair farthest from the door.

In fact, Kenji found himself feeling unnaturally quiet.

"Hi." For a voice that was normally so loud, it was surprisingly soft, and Kenji shut the door behind him as he stepped into the room.

He felt almost like an intruder. Like he was breaking into some highly personal time that he just shouldn't be a part of. But, not only did Haido have his phone, they needed him, and Kenji felt like it was his duty to fix whatever he'd done.

Haido looked up and saw Kenji. Carefully, he shifted the cell phone to his bandaged hand and wiped at his eyes with the heel of his left hand. Great, now Kenji had to see him all weird. This wasn't good.

"Hey," Haido answered softly, looking at the phone in his hand. "Here."

He held it out again for Kenji to take, and this time he couldn't hug him and start this all over again.

"Sorry about that."

"It's okay." Kenji smiled as he took the phone, and even that felt quiet. What was Haido doing to him? It was really starting to drive him nuts!

But, he crouched in front of the chair anyway, playing with the flip phone in his hands. "Look... I'm sorry." Wasn't that the second time he'd apologized to Haido? That was so weird. He never apologized to anyone! "I don't know what I did, but..." He shrugged, looking up at Haido with a helpless expression.

"You didn't do anything," Haido assured him with a quick smile that was gone almost instantly. "I'm just all weird because of yesterday..."

He lifted his right hand weakly. How stupid of him. And top it all off, Kenji was in here apologizing to him! Things couldn't get worse. Well, he supposed they could, but he was in a moment right now.

"If you want to get a replacement... for the time I'm out," he said. "I wouldn't blame you, or feel bad."

He was throwing it out there right away. After all, it wasn't really his band, Kenji should do what he wanted with it.

Kenji shook his head violently. "No way!" He was very adamant about it, and if nothing else, his voice expressed that. "I'm not going to work with anyone but you and Kei."

He looked like a small child when he made any face that wasn't happy, but he'd never really noticed before. It was all in the way he set his mouth, distinctly reminiscent of a pout.

Standing, Kenji pushed his phone into the tight back pocket of his jeans. It was cold, but he shrugged it away, arms crossing over his chest to assume an all around stance that looked frighteningly like Taki.

Haido looked up at Kenji, smiling slightly as he got up too, though he still had to look up. Hearing that somehow made him feel better, if not a little teary again. He didn't know what was wrong with him, but he definitely enjoyed hearing it.

"Thanks, Sonoda-san," he said quietly. "I don't know what happened, but... well, I'm sorry if Aizawa-san gets really rough on us once I can play again."

It would be his fault after all. But Kenji looked dorkily adorable again, standing around like Taki, making orders.

"Uh... well," he said, looking away. "Um... maybe we should go back? Or maybe... I don't know. Sorry."

Something was stirring deep in his stomach, and with a jolt, Kenji realized he was nervous. His mouth was too dry, and he swallowed, nodding.

He nodded, but he couldn't make himself look away from Haido's face. "Yeah..."

It was hot, muggy in the room. And somehow, it made Haido seem... different. More appealing? Something like cool air floating into the room. Kenji was drawn toward it, but forced himself back with a quick shake of his head.

What the hell was he doing?

"Yeah! You're right." He cleared his throat. "We need to go back, to... see Kei. Cause she has something she needs to explain." He bit his lip, grabbing Haido's unbandaged hand to drag him out of the room.

Haido had noticed how weird Kenji had acted only a few minutes previous. How strange he was acting these days, but it had gotten his heart pounding. It was nothing though, nothing. He'd been acting weird himself lately.

Dragged off by the hand, Haido was taken out of his thoughts. He kept pace with Kenji, though he had to take more steps to match a few of his. Four for every one of his two. It was a tad annoying.

"What needs to be explained?" he asked. "Did something happen?"

Kenji shook his head as he walked, not realizing that he still had Haido's hand in his. It was a pleasant feeling, and he was a believer in pleasant things carrying on. "No... It's just a theory I have. She's better at explaining things, though, because I get sidetracked, and..."

He made a hand gesture, shaking his head again. "Just... trust me. It's easier this way."

Glancing to his side, he gave Haido a small smile, something akin to a half-grin.

"Alright, alright," Haido said with a small laugh.

_Author's Notes: I know, I know! We just don't get into Haido anymore than the surface. I can't say that'll change. Haido, like the rest of Opium, was supposed to be temporary. And he was a hard character for me to tap into in the beginning. He wasn't the kind of person I could keep writing for long periods of time. I didn't know a thing about him. Sounds weird, I know._

_Keiko was loud, brash, in a bad mood all the time, but she loved Kenji in her own way. That's like a certain part of me, I can admit. I just took all my bad moods and my smoking habit and problems waking up and crammed them all into Keiko._

_Haido was hard. Haido was the person I hate being. He's quiet, reflective not much of a history or present life it seems. We get snipits. Mostly cause that's all I got. He reminded me a lot of myself when I first moved out to California. Reserved and thinking. I hate those moments in my life, cause there's always someone I'm thinking about that I don't want to anymore. _

_At first, I was going to give Haido that problem. A boyfriend with trouble handling himself. It just didn't work out that way. He hurt himself, and I'm still, to this very day not sure how it happened. I'm going with cooking accident. But that's a big accident to have on a stove. I think._

_This story got so confusing for us after a while._

_Drop us a line._

_SL_


	16. Chapter 16

_Disclaimer: You should know by now._

_Author's Notes: I'm sorry! I usually post a chapter at least once a day, but I didn't yesterday. I went out clubbing and I was going to when I got home, but my friend twisted her foot on a whole glass someone left on the floor and we had to take her to the hospital cause she heard it pop. _

_Turns out she fractured a bone in her foot, so now she's in a cast. I didn't get in until five in the morning, was starving and the boyfriend had to spend the night (which none of our parents likes, but he wasn't safe to drive). _

_It was a very long night, and I'm sorry about the chapter, but my friend was more important. And so was sleep! Lol_

_Enjoy._

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Sixteen_

Finally they made it back to the recording room where Keiko was leaning back in her chair to it was tilted at a dangerous angle against a wall. She looked like the perfect example of bored, arms dangling at her sides, staring at the ceiling.

She slowly looked at them. "Good. Shall we explain on the way?"

Kenji nodded, finally letting go of Haido's hand. His fingers felt cold, and he shoved them deep into his pants pocket. "Yeah... we're going now?" A little bit of surprise, there.

He hadn't thought they'd actually go today. But, he wasn't complaining! The sooner they found out about Taki and Tohma, the sooner they would have something to use against Taki and maybe get him off their backs.

The bliss of the idea alone was almost too much for Kenji to handle.

"Hell, pity card, Kenji," Keiko sighed, getting up from the chair. "C'mon. We'll take the stairs down. More time to explain."

And on top of that, she didn't know where Taki was at the moment and if he'd return anytime soon. Since they were doing this about him, of course they couldn't talk about it where he would find out about it.

Duh.

She headed out, Haido following, hand now slipping his pocket. He kind of missed the moment before.

"So, what exactly is going on?" he asked as they left.

"Kenji's crazy," Keiko said simply.

"I am not!" Kenji protested hotly, scowling at the back of Keiko's head. "Taki's the crazy one! You've seen the way he is! It's insane!"

Kenji would stick by his theory until someone proved it false to him. And the only people who could do that were the people they were trying to find. So, if they found Ken, and Ken didn't give them anything worth another look...

He'd take one anyway. If there was some big secret to Taki's insanity, then there was no way it would come out on the first interrogation!

Maybe they would have to go to America, and track down Ma! That would be so cool. Kenji had never been to America.

Haido seemed thoroughly confused now. "Ok, Aizawa-san is crazy? Why?"

"Kenji thinks there's something between Aizawa and Seguchi-san," Keiko said, starting down the flight of stairs. "And apparently Aizawa's crazy because he works us hard. Go figure. A slacker thinking hard work is crazy..."

Haido laughed, covering his mouth to try and smother it. It didn't work.

"So, wait, what's going on between them?"

Kenji huffed, reaching out to flick Keiko in the back of the head. "It's not just how he works us, but have you seen the way he works with Seguchi? When he's not talking and professional, he's glaring like he's got something sour in his mouth. And the way he talks..."

Shaking his head, the singer rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, disturbing the fine red hairs there. "You just don't TALK like that to the boss, you know? It's like he's just asking to get a rise out of the guy. It's weird."

Did you do that to someone who held your career in their hands? Kenji certainly didn't. He might be loud, abrasive, and particularly foolish, but he had a bit of sense.

Haido looked at Kenji in surprised. Wow, maybe he wasn't so dorky after all. Kenji seemed rather smart, or at least intuitive. It was definitely another side of the other person he'd never seen before.

"Okay, so you think there's something up," Haido said to Kenji. "But what do we need me for?"

There was a good question.

"There's only one other member of ASK still in the country: Ken-chan. He's a synth player, and we need get some information out of him," Keiko explained. "That's where you come in. We think he might be a studio musician here at N-G. We need you to ask the secretary for his schedule because you've always admired him."

Or... something like that.

Kenji nodded his agreement, taking a little bit of pride from Haido's look of astonishment. He liked surprising people. It made life interesting.

"Kei won't let me do it. She says it's not convincing." He rolled his eyes, as if it made no sense to him. And, on some level, it didn't. So what if he sang? It was just a little switch in the music industry.

It wasn't so big of a shock for him to like synthesized music. If he didn't, why would Haido be with them?

He could think of at least one reason, that made his skin feel too hot and his hands itch. Where was he coming up with this stuff?

Haido looked a bit shocked. He couldn't decide if this was good or bad for him. On the one hand, it was interesting, and they needed his help. Since he couldn't play, it was nice to feel useful. Then again... what were they going to do once they were able to track Ken guy down?

Maybe he didn't want to be bothered...

Keiko sighed, coming to the last floor, the other two behind her. The desk was right there in the middle of the quiet lobby (everyone was working).

"Act shy," she told Haido and started walking over, dragging him behind her.

The idea was, if they made a bit of a scene making him seem shy, the secretary would probably be more than willing to give a shy little guy like Haido the information.

"C'mon!" Keiko said louder now, tugging on him a bit. "Just go ask! Go!"

She gave him a shove toward the desk. Haido fumbled, still not sure if he wanted to do this. He finished walking towards the desk and didn't really have to act shy. His indecision made it possible.

"U-uh... excuse me?" he asked quietly, trying to get her attention. He looked back at Keiko and Kenji who were watching.

Kenji made hand motions, like they would put Haido's attention back toward the secretary. He mouthed, "Pay attention!" as the secretary turned.

"Can I help you?" She asked, giving Haido a polite stare. After years of working at NG, she was used to putting on a polite face, no matter what mood she may be in.

It was handy, really. Quite useful.

He swallowed hard, nodding as he snapped his head around to the voice. Haido wasn't sure what to ask... Taki. Taki was in a band ASK. So, the logical thing to do would be to ask about it first, right? She was staring at him...

"Uh... I was...," he paused again, fidgeting. "Um... my manager is Aizawa-san and uh... he used to be in this band..."

Haido was feeling his stomach tighten as he spoke, and his hand twitched.

"ASK was the name of it... and, well... their synth player. Ken... I, uh, just wanted to know if maybe there was anyway... that maybe I could find him? And... and possibly meet him?" he asked awkwardly. "I always admired his work so much..."

The polite face flickered, and the secretary found herself smiling. It was almost... cute. He looked so nervous, and he sounded unsure of himself. He had to be from that new band, the one Tohma had taken such pains for.

She hadn't minded any. It had given her a few extra hours off.

"I think we can find him." She turned to the computer to her left, hands going down to the keyboard as she typed in Ken's name for a search of the database. A moment of silence, and she nodded. "He should be in the studio right now. On the seventh floor. Studio B."

Sure, there was a small flicker of suspicion. Why would anyone be looking for old ASK players? They were old news. History! Broken apart and scattered to the four winds. She was certain that Aizawa didn't even know Ken was still employed at NG.

Who would waste their time searching out individual players?

But, it was none of her business if Ken was this young man's idol. She was just happy to help.

Haido gave a small, rushed smile, nodding his head in a slight bow to the secretary. She was smiling, he smiled, and she had the information! She actually gave it to him without question!

"Seventh floor, studio B," he repeated, smile widening. "Thank you so much!"

He nearly ran back over to Keiko and Kenji. This was going to make him so happy!

Him? As in Kenji?

Haido slowed his thoughts with his step, and he was almost frowning as he came up to his band mates. Keiko was waving at the secretary, miming things back and forth. Girls could have a conversation no matter what medium they used.

"Alright, whatcha get?" Keiko asked finally, walking over to the elevator.

"Seventh floor, studio B," Haido replied.

Kenji looked ready to hug Haido again, but he held himself back, remembering strongly the last occurrence. Instead, he just smiled widely, following Haido and Keiko to the elevator.

"That's awesome! I can't believe she just gave it to you!" Kenji gave up, because there was no way he could express it without undue physicality.

He gave Haido a hug from behind, halting their progress at his own expense. It was a careful hug, loose and relatively quick. Within seconds, Kenji was pulling back, still smiling.

Haido was confused at the action and Keiko glanced at them, but said nothing. She hit the up button and waited for the lift, minding her own business. Haido had turned around to looked at Kenji for a moment, but just smiled.

"He was too cute being flustered, small and injured. He was perfect for this," Keiko said, stepping into the elevator when it opened.

Haido followed, asking where they were going.

"Seventh floor, studio B, of course," she responded, waiting for Kenji. Once aboard, she hit seven and let the machine take it from there.

Kenji bounced on the balls of his feet, thumbs hooked in his pockets. He was a tall bundle of nervous energy, watching the floors tick by with all the concentration of a small child. "So... we're all going in, right?"

He didn't want to be left out of this part of the process, too. He wanted to hear whatever it was firsthand. It wouldn't be fair to have to deal with second hand information.

Glancing at Haido, Kenji bit the inside of his lip. He would have thought that if he was... gay, it would have shown up before now. Why Haido? What if it was just a fluke? Or, what if it wasn't? But, no... He really did like women. Liked them a lot, actually.

But, Haido... Kenji forced his eyes back up to the numbers as the doors dinged and opened.

_Author's Notes: Looking back on these chapters where Opium really starts to grow and change and get their own personalities, I really kind of hate myself for what's going to come in just a few short chapters. I may have to do some major overhauling. I hate screwing with the original version… but the climactic point needs more reason._

_Haido will develop a lot more soon. I'm still not sure if it's good or bad._

_Review._

_SL_


	17. Chapter 17

_Disclaimer: We only own made band members of Opium._

_Author's Notes: Another shorty. I apologize for that. But this is where we did a lot of scene cuts and things because so many things are going on at once. There are quite a few turning points coming up soon, so I'll try to avoid these short ones as long as I can._

_Sorry!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Seventeen _

The blond walked down the corridors busily working, but at a nice slow pace. He stopped in studios and walked out with demos, or tapes, or CDs. Other times with papers which he kept or delivered elsewhere. Sometimes he stopped in to advise or listen to a few songs, or even give a short performance review. Not only was he catching up on his work, but he was doing it at warp speed.

All the while, Taki was with him pestering him. Not asking for help, more like complaining and begging.

"Aizawa-san," Tohma sighed. "If I could spare a player I would, but I have no one free. I'm the only one left in the build who can play synth who isn't already working with a band, but I can't do it. Why? I have to run a business."

He smiled at an employee walking by, nodding his head.

"You will have to wait until Chiba-san heals, or force him to work now and injure himself more. It's your call."

Taki sighed, running a hand through his hair again in agitation. Following Tohma had not done him any good. All it was doing was straining his leg, but fuck if he was going to let that stop him.

"If we wait until he heals, we'll be weeks behind schedule!" He was protesting, all but whining as he followed the older man.

He couldn't let them get behind schedule. Once behind schedule, there would be no catching up. A substitute would at least allow them to record, move forward. Haido could watch and make suggestions, fix things when his hand healed.

It would be something at least. Something instead of this complete standstill they'd found themselves in.

x

Keiko stood there, her mind torn between disgust, anger and just plain shock. Taki did that? For real? Ken was his friend... she looked over at the dark haired man, who looked awkward at the moment. Yeah, he seemed like a person who would've been a good friend. He wouldn't make this shit up.

It was sick. Or maybe it was just emotions.

Keiko didn't know what to think really.

Haido, on the other hand, was really wishing he hadn't been a part of this at all. He felt weird an awkward hearing these things. Now he had to face that man everyday for the next two years knowing what kind of person he was.

Maybe he'd rest his hand at home for a bit...

"That's sick." Kenji finally whispered. "Really. I knew the bastard was insane, but I didn't think it was that fucking bad." His hands were fisted on his knees, and he shook his head slowly as he stared down at them.

Sure, making the dream come true was a hard road, but it didn't require stooping to measures like that. Taki was a bastard, yeah. A slave driver, sure, and definitely obsessive, but to take it that far? To actually... do that to another human being?

And he had the gall to treat Seguchi that way?

_Author's Notes: See? It been loosely brought up. Opium officially knows what Taki did to Shuichi two years ago. I don't think it was ever revealed as to what Tohma did in response to Taki's actions. So, I think Opium doesn't know that Tohma pushed him in front of a car. I think the only people that actually know, now and forever, and Tohma, Taki, whoever was driving the car (it's still under much debate) and Suguru. If you've watched the anime, Suguru visits Taki in the hospital. _

_So, there's a good lot of drama for you right there!_

_Drop us a line._

_SL_


	18. Chapter 18

_Disclaimer: Blah. _

_Author's Notes: Here we are at chapter eighteen. This is a climactic moment in the story, as you astute readers may have picked up. A lot of things are coming to boil at this point and time, and looking on it now… I hope we're not overloading you! But, still I think it's fairly easy to keep everything straight._

_Thanks to Silverone and Sisely on AFF for reviewing. Again, thanks to Starbright, Lady Sakura and Zookeeper on gurabiteshiyon. And, a final thanks to Leihko on FF. Reviews are always wonderful to get._

_Here's your payment for the reviews!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Eighteen _

He had a fucking death wish! He had to! Kenji shook his head a little harder as he pushed himself away from the table he'd been leaning against. He was headed to the door before he could think about it, out into the hall and toward the stairs.

Keiko snapped her head as Kenji rushed out. "Ken-" he was already out "-ji..."

She sighed and looked at the other two before looking towards the door again. As much as she knew Kenji would want his space, if he ran into Taki, something bad might happen. Certainly not good.

"Help me find him," she said to Haido, and left, going down the hall and upstairs.

Haido was feeling nervous again. The tension was heavy and it made him jittery. As much as Kenji was right for what he said, there was another part to it.

He had a feeling, that if Taki had just left it with Shuichi, Tohma wouldn't have done a thing to him. But he dragged in someone close to Tohma (Ken had mentioned a lover Tohma knew). Taki had threatened that person too.

Still... something so brutal for one person...

He looked up when Kenji ran out and wasn't sure of what to do when Keiko ordered him to help. He quietly thanked Ken for his time and rushed out to see Keiko going upstairs. So, he went downstairs.

Haido searched each hallway peeking into every room and bathroom and break room. Eventually, he spotted a lone figure sitting in an empty studio. Quietly he opened the door and saw Kenji. He walked in, shutting it carefully behind him, but wasn't sure of what to do now.

Kenji's foot connected with the wall harder then he'd intended as the door opened, and he glanced behind him. Sighing softly, he slipped off the table he'd sat on, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he turned to face Haido.

"Hi." Quiet. Everything about him was quiet now. From those first whispered words in the studio with Ken, he was quiet.

He hadn't really wanted Haido to find him. He could admit that he wanted to be found, or he wouldn't have left, but he could hug Keiko and rat and rave, and know that she would listen and give him a little smack to wake him up.

But Haido made him uneasy. Not a bad uneasy, he just wasn't sure how to act around him. It made him nervous, and he certainly didn't know how to act now.

"If... I'd known it was going to be that bad, I wouldn't have involved you in it." He was apologizing again, but he couldn't stop it, looking away from Haido and at anything that could hold his interest. Finally, he settled on the floor.

Haido took the 'hi' as an okay to go over to him. Once Kenji had settled on the floor and Haido went to sit near him on the floor. He greeted him softly and shook his head at Kenji's words. He didn't want his band mate to feel bad. He may not have willingly gotten into this, but he wasn't going to let anyone blame themselves because he couldn't say no.

"Sonoda-san, it's fine," Haido assured him, though he knew it did no good. "I'm more worried about you... "

He closed his mouth then. That came out completely wrong. What if Kenji took it the wrong way!?

"I mean... you were very upset, so that why," he explained. "Why I would worry, I mean."

He was tripping over himself now.

"Will you stop calling me that?" Kenji sighed, looking over at Haido with a disgruntled expression. "It sounds like you're talking to my father or something." Of course, he was referring to the respectful title.

He wasn't used to being addressed with respect. It was weird.

It was easier if he ignored Haido's statements about worry. They confused him, and made him wonder if maybe... Haido was just as nervous as he was.

And he still didn't know why. It was driving him nuts!

Haido nodded his head, looking over at Kenji and ducked his head, muttering an apology. He didn't want to make his mood any worse. So he didn't like the respectful title? Well... Haido guessed he could tweak it a little, even though he didn't know him that well.

"So... Sonoda-kun, then?" he mumbled, looking up at Kenji through fallen strands of dark hair in his eyes.

It felt weird, but he didn't know what else he could do. First names certainly couldn't be used. Not for him at least.

"Do you... do you want to... talk about it?" he asked softly.

A light scowl appeared on Kenji's face, and, suitably distracted, he pushed himself so he was sitting face to face with Haido. "No. No Sonoda-anything. Kenji."

That was his name, after all. He answered to that better then anything else.

Except for maybe some of the more inventive names Keiko had called him. Those he answered to because they made him laugh.

"Just say it, okay? Kenji. It's not that hard." He rested his elbows on his knees, chin propped on his hands.

Kenji was an easily distracted boy. It didn't take much. But, it didn't take much to send him plowing down into a bad mood, either. It was a fair trade, more often then not.

Haido frowned slightly. It wasn't as though he couldn't say his name. It was a matter of being respectful! He was always overly respectful. What was worse? Insulting someone, or flattering them? He didn't realize it, but he was pouting slightly. He wasn't some little kid!

"I can say your name," Haido inform Kenji. "I just don't feel right doing it. I barely really know you."

And he noted how Kenji avoided (or was it completely ignored) his other question. Well that was rude!

Haido didn't notice the pout, but Kenji did. Just a small little accent to his lower lip. That was all it took, and Kenji couldn't look away from it anymore. He wasn't even listening to what Haido had to say.

There were just those lips.

_Author's Notes: Silverone, I have a question. Have you ever read Torture Chamber? Kel mentioned in passing that someone continually reviewing our story was someone who continually reviewed that one, too. You've been the only constant reviewer so far. Kel was a co-writer of TC._

_Anyways, my usual rant._

_Like I said, a lot of things are coming to boil at this point. This'll get crazy awesome eventually. But, I'm pleased to say you can notice a lot more personality in Haido. Kenji seems more comfortable with himself. I think this was about the time Kel settled on him. _

_So, leave us a review and we'll see you next chapter!_

_SL_


	19. Chapter 19

_Disclaimer: Blah, Blah._

_Author's Notes: Alright! I can't contain it anymore! Once Kel and I had the final ending set for this story, we decided it had more possibilities. Many, many more. So, ladies and gents, lovers of Tohma and Taki (whether in a couple or apart) I'm pleased to announce that we are working on a sequel!_

_Yes, more of this goodness for you. I refuse to say anything more than that. I want to. I want to so bad, that's how excited I am about it, but if I do it would give so much away in this story._

_Just keep a look out for when I give the title to the sequel! Until then, enjoy the work we've got up now!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Nineteen _

Now, in retrospect, he should have realized what was going on. But, Kenji was never one to think in the heat of the moment, and before he was sure what was going on, his hands had moved, resting on Haido's knees. He was leaning forward, head tilted and eyes closed as his lips pressed to Haido's in an overly impulsive action.

Those lips were soft. Warm. Dry and perfect. It made his stomach tighten with something besides nervousness, though that came back in a rush as he realized exactly what he was doing. What it could do to them, and the band...

He thought about his actions, sure. It just happened to be after it was too late.

Heat rushed to his face, and Kenji opened his eyes as he pulled back, swallowing hard. He couldn't make a sound in his defense, because he had no defense. He'd... enjoyed that stolen kiss. More then he should have.

His eyes widened when he saw Kenji move in, unable to move. He watched the vivid red hair swarm his vision, the dark eyes closing. And Kenji's lips were over his. Haido didn't know what to do, he was in such shock.

But... but it was a nice feeling.

Kenji's lips were soft and pliant. Haido didn't think it could actually be happening, and that Kenji could be so... not clumsy about it. He was starting to enjoy it when the warmth of the kiss left and he was only staring at a blushing Kenji.

His mouth hung open slightly and he was blushing too, but Haido leaned forward and wrapped one hand behind Kenji's neck, pulling their faces close again to continue the kiss. A spark was lit and Haido, too, was taken over by impulse.

Kenji's eyes widened in surprise. Real surprise, but he didn't pull away. For all his protests, silent though they were, Kenji couldn't deny that he liked the way it felt. He liked it a lot.

His lips parted under Haido's, and his eyes drifted shut again as he reached out in search of Haido's hips. His fingers found them, and within seconds, Kenji had Haido in his lap, the only real way to do that without breaking the kiss to have one of Haido's legs on either side of Kenji's.

He wasn't going to think about this while it happened. If he started thinking, it would be ruined, because Haido simply felt too good to think about.

Haido didn't want to think about it either. He was afraid of what would come afterwards, of course, but for now he decided it was alright for a little indulgence of lustful ignorance. Kenji, though having started, certainly wasn't going to receive any blame.

When the lips parted, so did his and he blindly pushed his tongue forward. Haido was going on pure impulse. A small, muffled noise of surprise was heard as he was lifted and moved, but it was easily forgotten. The heat of the room now ten times more being so closely pressed up against Kenji. His legs folded so he was on his knees on Kenji's lap, other arm thrown around his neck.

This was crazy, Haido decided silently. All of this was absolutely crazy!

But he wasn't complaining...

Never anything like this. Kenji couldn't remember a time when he felt like this. His fingers felt thick, useless, and his skin felt as if it were on fire. Too warm, itchy.

There was no relief when Haido deepened the kiss, and Kenji let out a soft, desperate groan. For a moment, he considered pulling back, putting a stop to the kiss for both of their sakes, but it didn't take much to put him in an entirely different frame of mind. Just the right press of Haido's mouth against his, and he was responding with everything he had in him.

Frankly, he was just glad he wasn't being louder, even if it was his job to be vocal.

It occurred to him that he didn't know Haido. Not at all, really, and yet... There they were, sitting on the floor, kissing. Within seconds of the first revelation, Kenji was fast brought to the fact that this was the first time he had ever considered kissing another man to be a worthwhile idea.

But, it wasn't just an idea now. It was a full fledged reality.

Haido felt that little noise slide down into him, raising goosebumps throughout his body. It was a warming and chilling sensation all at once. It made something snap a little in him, and Haido pressed hard into the kiss, one hand threading into the red hair, holding tightly, but not painfully tight. The other hand ran down the front of Kenji's shirt, it wasn't like a second skin, but it wasn't baggy either.

Kenji's form was perfect and when his hand reached the hem, Haido slipped his fingers under, brushing against warm skin. It was amazingly soft and hot, sending thrills through him. Guiltily, he knew in the back of him mind that they didn't know each other well (hell, this had all started over which formality Haido should've used and which name), but he couldn't help it.

It slipped into his mind that Kenji had never struck him as gay, just cute. If he really hadn't figured himself as gay yet, then this truly was an act of impulse. More than that, but what if he was forcing Kenji a bit...

Well, he wasn't getting pushed away.

The bandage on Haido's hand caught in his hair, but Kenji didn't care. He couldn't have pulled away now if he'd wanted to, afraid of doing more harm to Haido's hand. He would have stayed in place, if only for that.

But, Haido was touching his skin. The tips of his fingers were cool, but not cold, and the contrast made Kenji suck in a sharp breath through his nose. It left him as a louder sound, urged by the touch and his own sensitivity.

One arm was hooked around Haido's waist, but the other was free, and Kenji used that hand to look for the hem of Haido's shirt. He couldn't help it, and didn't want to.

Haido was touching him, after all. It was only fair.

His heart was beating too fast for such little inspiration, and Kenji knew it was because he didn't want this to stop. All of that (mental) talk about not being gay was practically thrown out the window now. There was no way to deny it with Haido's hand up his shirt and their mouths locked together in the deepest kiss Kenji was sure he'd ever had.

_Author's Notes: This scene was too important to not have her give a say on Kenji. It's hard coming to terms with your own sexuality, mild curiosities and whatnot. It's a confusing time, but not something that takes over your whole thought process. I thought Kel did a nice job of that, bring it up in Kenji's mind in passing, not obsessing over it. This was a climactic moment on many levels. For further character development, plot development and personal growth in the story and us as writers._

_I now present Kel's words of wisdom: _

_Pressured into ANs again. Dammit. _

It was hard to write that scene for Kenji. I mean, I'm one of those people who looks at every angle, every possible outcome of something. Sure, if it's bad enough (or good enough), I'll just do it, but Kenji... didn't think, and that was weird for me.

I'm really not good at writing impulsive characters. So, why am I playing Taki?

Good question. I think it's the bad attitude.

By the time we got to this section, I think everything was based off one crack idea after another. (Can anyone tell I'm writing this off a prompt? Cookies, man. Cookies.) Kenji and Haido getting together was more something that we came up with to irk Keiko, in the beginning. And then it just sort of developed.

I really do hate what we did in the next few chapters, though. Makes me want to bang my head against a wall.

_And I agree with Kel. It's hard to explain, and if I can't completely 180 that shit, then you guys are stuck with it. But if you guys love us enough, you'll forgive that one, badly planned out thing._

_Drop us a line while we figure this out._

_SL_


	20. Chapter 20

_Disclaimer: Blah blah Opium, blah._

_Author's Notes: So, we know about the sequel, and I'm still so excited. It's in progress. It has been, actually, since we finished this story. Anyways, I digress. This chapter brings everyone else into play. Let's see what happens!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Twenty_

Keiko was wandering around the upstairs corridors when she caught sight of Tohma and Taki. Tohma looked like he wished he had ear plugs, and was continually nodding at whatever Taki was saying. He reminded Keiko of a bobble-head.

She paused, thinking. She needed help finding Kenji... no word from Haido or luck on her part...

"Seguchi-san! Aizawa-san!" she called out, rushing over. Tohma stopped, looking quite relieved at the interruption.

"Yes, Takashi-san, how can I help you?" Tohma asked. "Also, I'm sorry to hear about Chiba-san."

"Yeah, fine, thanks," she said, Tohma raised an eyebrow. "Sorry, but I can't find Kenji and this place is fricken' huge, so I need help."

For once, the expression that crossed Taki's face as Kenji's name was mentioned was not one of disgust. Honest surprise rested there, and then, despite himself, he frowned in what was almost worry.

Only over the lead singer, of course. Never concern over Kenji himself.

"How did you lose him?" They were on a full-day break! What was there for Kenji to protest against? There was a practically unlimited stock of coffee in the break room, tracks that could easily be worked over, things to do...

Unless he'd gotten lost on his way to the studio, Taki couldn't begin to conceive what had happened.

And at last, the exasperation rose.

Keiko started biting her lips, not looking like she was quite aware she was doing it. It was a nervous habit that she had. She didn't feel too nervous, but she did know telling would be wrong. It would upset not only her manager, but mostly likely her boss too.

Not good. She kinda liked her job...

"Well," she drawled, rocking back and forth as she shifted her weight. "We went to go talk to an old band member... we found something... quite disturbing out" she locked eyes with Taki briefly. "And, well... it kinda sent him over the edge."

Tohma's face stayed neutral, but he nodded slightly. "I see. Aizawa-san will search with me downstairs, please continue here and upstairs."

In the meantime, Haido and Kenji were just a few floors below them, oblivious to little else but the heated embrace they were involved in. It didn't cross his mind that someone may be using this room soon, or that they would get walked in on. It was the farthest thing from his mind.

The hand under Kenji's shirt continued upwards, just enjoying the hot skin available for his play until reason came down upon them later. He used his hand and upper body to force Kenji down on his back. He just couldn't help himself. It was one of those out of control moments.

Haido was so used to control, quiet kisses, sneaking, cautious touches... this was so... so...

Refreshing.

Taki's eyes narrowed in suspicion. Old band member, and that look... He had to wonder, and he didn't like the conclusions he was coming to. He nodded in agreement to Tohma's decision, obviously not paying much attention to the conversation.

Old band member. Disturbing... and it sent Kenji over the edge? It was suspicious enough, but he had nothing to go on. Nothing save for the idea that they had no business snooping around in old band members' pasts.

_Author's Notes: Now we're sparking some heat!_

_Keiko shows us a new side in this one. True caring for Kenji. Deep down, she's very worried about his mindset after hearing what they did from Ken. Since he's so sporadic, and his moods of anger, one could assume, would be something fierce. Also, she doesn't like lying. She's opposed to it greatly. Smudging the lines a bit… if she has to, she has to, but if you lie to her and she finds out, she'll come back and make sure your mouth can't work ever again. And she'll go into a slump for a while if she, for some reason, had to lie._

_Like… she didn't do her homework back in high school and lied to a parent. Or something. She's surprisingly respectful on the inside_

_Stay tuned and find out what everyone's going to do!_

_Drop us a line!_

_PS: Silverone: Kel was one of the writers, the second writer wasn't me, but another friend of ours! I made friends with Kel and her through that story. It's been… almost two years since then, I think. Amazing how a story can change your life, huh?_

_SL_


	21. Chapter 21

_Disclaimer: NOT DOING THIS EVERY CHAPTER! Ah!_

_Author's Notes: Oh, this chapter is just funny in that 'oops' kinda way. Thing about Kel and I, is that while we enjoy our overdoses of angst and smutty smut smut, you can't kill our sense of humor! We love torturing our characters in the worst way, situation wise._

_You'll love it._

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Twenty-One _

Getting caught was the last thing on Kenji's mind. He couldn't think of anything but Haido, and as that hand continued upward, thought was becoming an increasingly rare occasion.

His breath caught in his throat as Haido started to push him down, and he went without protest. He straightened out his legs as he went, unconsciously parting them so Haido could settle comfortably between them. And while the action itself was unconscious, the feeling it pulled out was not.

Because, dammit, it felt good. Everything about Haido felt good.

Finally, Kenji had to break the kiss to gasp for breath, and he buried his face in Haido's neck as he panted. Within seconds, he was pressing half aware kisses to the smooth skin, his hands fumbling with the bottom of the t-shirt that kept Haido's skin from his touch.

Haido groaned, their bodies rubbing together in each little way as Kenji laid down, as he shifted to make them comfortable. He was glad and saddened that the kiss had to end. Glad because it left his mouth free now, bad because... well, he really enjoyed the kiss.

His heated body slowly became aware of the fluttering kisses along his neck. Haido made a soft noise in the back of his throat, head tilting upwards to allow more room. His hand let go of the red hair, fingers throbbing in pain he was barely aware of. They felt stiff though, hard to move, but he didn't care. His other hand was starting to push up Kenji's shirt when he felt a slight chill along his back.

His shirt was coming up.

But Tohma was striding down that very hallway, Taki behind him. They were each taking one side of the hallway, checking into studios, even ones being used, bathrooms, break rooms, broom closets. If Keiko wanted him found, Tohma was sure to do just that.

He glanced as he passed a darkened studio, then stopped and backtracked. Two figures. Moving. There was a dim amount of light and he cause sight of the obnoxious red hair. Which meant that Haido was the one in there with him.

"Taki!" Tohma said, though he had lowered his voice. "Taki, over here!"

Taki crossed the hall, frowning as he came to a stop behind Tohma. "What?" His brow furrowed as he caught sight of red, and he pushed himself up onto his toes to see a little better. His chest brushed Tohma's back, but he didn't notice.

"I didn't think he was flipping out enough to be restrained..." He sounded shocked, and a little impressed. He hadn't known Kenji had it in him.

Tohma's face faltered for a moment, glad he wasn't facing Taki. He felt the other man brush up against him, very close. Actually, Tohma didn't even have room to back up if he wanted to. He didn't, but that wasn't the point.

And he only didn't want to back up because they had to go in the studio! But Taki thought Kenji had to be restrained? And by Haido of all people? The blond looked hard and saw the way their shadowed heads moved.

Not... restrained. Then again... it was a little dark, and hands were moving and pulling... he thought.

He cleared his throat. "In on three?"

"On three." Taki nodded, settling back down onto his feet. It put too much strain on his muscles to stay up like that for long, and he could see over Tohma's shoulder perfectly fine.

He just hated that inch. Hated it.

"One..." He seemed to become aware of how close they were together, but he couldn't pull back without it looking worse then it had to already. "Two." He could feel his breath stirring Tohma's hair. It tickled his cheek, the blond strands light and barely touching. "Three."

His heart was beating too fast to simply be from finding Kenji and Haido. He didn't want to think about why.

Tohma stiffened slightly when Taki spoke. His breath was ghosting over his skin, it made him want to shiver, but he held it back, unable to show something like that. Whatever 'that' was exactly.

With Taki so close behind him, the blond nearly missed the count. One gloved hand was wrapped around the door handle and his fingers tightened, but it wasn't in anticipation. There was something else putting him on edge and making him nervous. He didn't want to think on what it was.

"Three," he breathed, repeating after Taki and opened the door.

_Author's Notes: I find this so funny, I'm giggling as I type! It could be the no sleeping thing I did… Any-hoo! Eh-heh…_

_Review if you get the chance! It makes us happy to write for you._

_SL_


	22. Chapter 22

_Disclaimer: Blah._

_Author's Notes: Greetings from Chandler, Arizona! This is day one of the road trip and we're already a bit behind. We were supposed to stop in Tucson, but we got a hundred miles short. We're going to try and make it to San Antonio, Texas tomorrow. That's 800, 900 miles away. A loooooooong drive. This was only 600. About._

_Anyways. Onward to your planned Author's Notes!_

_Alright, some of you might be wondering how often I sleep, if at all. Truth be told, I do catch my 20 hours a day. It's just when the sun is up. Thing is, we finished this story on a site we write on, transferred it to Word, and I'm editing and splitting it up into chapters. So, really, since I have 50 chapters made, sometimes I go through and edit around… maybe ten at the most depending on my mood._

_Since I have to go over my first editing job each time I finish making about 20 chapters or so, I end up rereading these parts of the stories, so I am sometimes struck with AN inspiration!_

_And I know I've missed a few updates. I try to do at least one a day, maybe once a day once at night, but I've been off. Welp, I'm in the process of moving back to New Jersey, so I'm packing up my life, and at the same time, my friends are dragging me around. We had a sleepover on Friday, drinks included, and we stayed out until… oh, about two in the morning._

_Doing what, you may ask?_

_Stealing street signs. We have no idea, but it seemed like a great idea at the time. Those things are bigger than you think. Waaaaaay bigger._

_Don't drink and steal signs kids…_

_Anyways, I ramble. Have fun!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Twenty-Two_

Haido was just leaning in to press a few kisses to Kenji's neck before the shirt had been pushed high enough to expose more skin worth tasting. His own shirt inched its way up and the heat of the room seemed to intensify with the slight cool over his exposed skin.

And then he heard the door open and his eyes widened.

Tohma peered into the room and saw Haido lift his head sharply and look over his shoulder at him and Taki. His breath caught in his throat seeing... well... basically live pornography in progress. He looked away over his own shoulder at Taki.

A younger Taki would have laughed, made a comment. In fact, Taki was biting his tongue to keep one back as Tohma turned his face away. Eyes flicking up to Tohma's, they shifted back to the two on the floor.

Kenji was staring at him, brown eyes a little scared, but mostly pleading. Taki's fingers twitched, and he itched to say something nasty. Something to get Kenji back for the weeks of hell he'd been through putting up with that attitude.

But he didn't. Instead, he just gave his head a little shake, murmured a soft, "Excuse us," and put a hand on Tohma's hip to guide him away. The door, no longer having anything to hold it open, swung shut behind them.

It wasn't until then that Taki realized where his hand was and quickly stepped back, shoving both hands in his pockets.

Tohma hadn't realized he was holding his breath until the door had shut with a soft click in front of them and Taki had step away. The fingers that had held him left a hot, but quickly cooling, spot on his hip. They had been so, so very close, and now the distance between them seemed extremely wide.

"So," he said, clearing his throat lightly. "Why don't we go to my office and discuss a temporary replacement?"

The blond started walking down the hallway, deciding to leave the two in the room to their own business... along with Keiko. Though the conviction of that didn't make the conversation any less tense. He certainly did hope they were happy enough though... and would refrain from using his facilities for such activities (though he had been no stranger to it himself).

Taki followed automatically, shifting his gaze between the floor and Tohma's back. Too close, he told himself. They'd been too close, not just close. But too close, because he didn't have any right at all to be that close to a man he was supposed to hate.

No! Did hate!

The band, though... If Haido and Kenji were going to continue to distract themselves in such ways, Taki had come to the obvious conclusion. "I might... need a little more help with those three."

Yes, it was painful to say. It felt like acid on his tongue, or it should have. Really, it just felt awkward. An awkward continuation to an already awkward conversation.

Tohma stopped when he heard the words, mind obviously on other things. Like how close they had been just before, and why wasn't he laughing about it? Why wasn't Taki making a nasty comment?

What if Kenji and Haido thought they were going into that room to do the same thing?!

He shook his head slightly. Thinking like that would do nothing but breed paranoia. The blond looked back at Taki, smiling a little.

"Really? Aizawa-san, are you asking me to help your band?" he asked innocently. "Or... would you rather I find someone to help you other than me?"

He had every right to the second option.

A loaded question. Taki's uncertainty, while not clear in his expression, was expressed solely by his eyes. A new person would get him away from Tohma, something that had recently seemed to become necessary, but a new person could upset the band... again.

It didn't seem to register that he was talking himself into it.

"Your help." Taki sighed, bringing one hand out of his pocket to brush back his hair. It was getting too long again. "I don't want to put them with a new person after something like... this." He clarified, just so there was no grey area.

It wasn't like he wanted Tohma with them or anything! This was a strictly business arrangement. Of course. Just business.

Tohma's smiled widened, looking quite flattered. After all, it had worked in the long run, hadn't it? Taki asked for help. Everyone needed to learn that sometimes, and even if it was just this once, the blond knew it could be a lesson well learned.

"Of course, Aizawa-san," he agreed with a nod. "I understand completely."

But he couldn't help that clawing child within him wanting to laugh with glee at the turn of events. Two band members making out, Taki asking for his help specifically... it was all too good.

"Right." Taki nodded slowly, still strung up on the awkward energy that had been thick between them. After a moment, he nodded again, letting out a slow breath as he repeated himself. "Right. Good."

It was almost too easy. Where was the catch? There was always a catch with Tohma.

"We still need a replacement for Haido, while he's injured." Though, that hadn't seemed to be stopping Haido from anything else. Taki tried to push it from his mind, glancing instead at Tohma from under the tips of his hair.

Yes, he was hinting. Blatantly. They needed a replacement while Haido was out, and Tohma had said it himself, there was no one else in the building to replace him. And he'd already said he would help, so it was a natural conclusion.

"Mm, I see," Tohma said with a nod. "It seems as though my secretary will be getting a little more work then."

Translation: Tohma would be filling in for Haido while he was healing, and at the same time, helping to manage the band.

"I'll start setting up a few meeting for all of this. Some with the entire band, some with you," he explained absently. "I don't think any paperwork has to change. I'll need to go over the contract just in case though."

Formalities. Ugh.

"Until then, Aizawa-san, I'll have to see you later. I should get as much work done as soon as possible if I'm taking this back on," he explained, a little apologetic.

Taki couldn't really stop it. He never could when it was genuine. It was just an impossibility.

He found himself smiling, and nodding in response to Tohma's words. They had a replacement, and even though it was Tohma, he didn't really mind the arrangement. Maybe he was sick. That could do it, couldn't it?

"Of course. I'll see you at the meeting." A short bow, more of a formality now, just a nod, and Taki was turning in the hallway to go back to the stairs.

Were things looking up, or was he fooling himself into a false sense of security? After all, this was Seguchi Tohma, bastard extraordinaire. Who knew, when it all came down to it? That was a man who could smile and kill at the same time.

Taki knew, because he'd witnessed something very like it first hand.

"See you then," Tohma agree, smiling still before walking off down the hallway.

Yes, this would all be very entertaining.

_Author's Notes: Very entertaining indeed, Tohma. _

_It's amazing. This idea was so simple in the beginning. Angst type one shot between Tohma and Taki. Opium was just the reason they met up. Suuuure, it looked like it might've gone on to be a long one shot, but it was still a one shot. Then the band got personalities and lives of their own… Such a simple idea._

_I wish I could say the work ahead was daunting. But it's not. I like giving this a purpose, not something that goes to waste on a website. People can read this whenever they want, over and over again. Kel and I are pretty much sick of it. We know what happens next. We like seeing what you guys think happens next. We probably could recite the lines of all the characters. Call me crazy, we may have parts of this story memorized…_

_Anyways, drop us a line!_

_SL_


	23. Chapter 23

_Disclaimer: Blah, blah, blah crap, blah._

_Author's Notes: Hello from New Orleans! Hotels are awesome. Big tub and a nice hot bath. Yay! Anyways, we don't have anymore reservations to make, so it's all fun from here. No more doing one state a day. Anyways, here's the regular notes._

_I liiiiiiiiied! I did, I did, I did! I did not sleep at all. And I'm packing and I got bored and now I'm here. WOOT! This chapter is awesome good times, peoples. Awesome good times. I think, and no offense to you good, nice, fun readers, that once the next few chapters go up, we'll be flooded with reviews._

_Why?_

_I'll tell you if it happens._

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Twenty-Three_

"Alright, good afternoon," Tohma greeted Opium as they sat. "Is everyone doing well?" he looked at all of them, smiling. "Good to hear it."

Keiko slumped downwards in her chair. Bored. So very bored, and confused. One leg was tempted to lift up and rest on the table, but she could feel Taki glaring at her already for slouching. Bastard. The dick really needed to get laid if you asked her.

Loosen up a bit she mentally groaned exasperated at Taki, rolling her eyes as her head lolled to one side to look at Tohma.

Haido was sitting on one side of the table, hands resting neatly atop it, his right one still bandaged. His eyes were downcast and he looked sullen, though since he was always quiet, he wasn't sure if anyone could tell the difference.

Kenji had been ignoring him since they had gotten walked in on. He guessed it was only to be expected, after all, no one wanted their boss to know their sexual habits. It was weird.

Haido felt his face heat up at the though of the two of them in the studio last week. What had happened?

"-Which is why I'm happy to announce that I will be filling in for Chiba-san while he is healing," Tohma said pleasantly, looking around the table. "Unless of course you all object. I would be more than happy to arrange something else."

Kenji couldn't look up at Tohma, or at Taki, or even Keiko. But especially, he couldn't look at Haido. Every time he did, his face would heat and suddenly, the room would become too warm. He couldn't hold and keep eye contact with anyone in the room, not if he tried.

He'd been angsting over the entire situation for days. Even now, seated across the table from Haido, he couldn't stop thinking about it. He remembered with stunning detail the way it had felt, and he had to wonder how far they would have taken it if they hadn't been interrupted.

Neither of them had been thinking very clearly.

Just like Kenji wasn't thinking now. He just nodded when Tohma stopped talking, before finally, the words penetrated through the fog that had been surrounding him. His eyes widened and he felt his jaw drop.

But... Haido would be fine soon! They didn't need a replacement, even if it was Tohma!

Taki interrupted before he could protest. "No, I think the arrangement will do fine." He glanced at Kenji, then Keiko, as if daring them to object.

Keiko felt the urge to flip Taki off for her own amusement. She didn't care who was doing what. Yes, she was in a very bad mood today. She'd gotten up like that and couldn't explain why, nor did she care to. She kind of liked these days. The ones that she told the world 'fuck you' and laughed.

Keiko certainly wasn't taking the whole... Kenji and Haido thing very well.

Tohma nodded. "Wonderful! I hope to get started right away. And Chiba-san, I assure you that you can direct me with your music all you wish."

And that was saying something.

Haido just nodded glumly. He didn't feel much like playing anyways. After all, it really wasn't a good feeling, this. He didn't know if it was used, or possibly a moment of clarity on Kenji's part, but it was just... disheartening.

This was disgusting. It made Taki feel sick, because they'd all been like this for days. He and Tohma were becoming the only driving force behind the band, and that wasn't the way it was supposed to work.

They had to have energy, had to want to do it, or nothing would get done. There would be no point in recording if they weren't inspired to do it.

He'd already cut Kenji off from coffee, curious to see if it would help inspire him to get more done. All it did was make him sleep on his feet.

Taki was running out of ideas.

"Then let's get to work." He pushed himself up, out of his seat. All this was doing was adding more stress onto all of them. He was sure they knew it.

His eyes fell on Kenji, who had drifted into his thoughts again. "Now, Sonoda." Red hair shifted as Kenji looked up, and he nodded mutely as he stood.

It defeated the purpose entirely. A mute singer. Useless.

Tohma continued smiling, though this was one of those moments where the smile wanted to fall and his face would twitch. This certainly wasn't the band he'd signed, and if this continued and no work was accomplished, they could be certain that they would be the band he fired. This was job, not a game. It was not high school where you could pout.

Keiko got up with a groan, the long black skirt flowing out behind her, revealing the large boots underneath. Her shirt had some inane saying on it and her arms were coated in bracelets. Tohma thought he kind of liked that look. But that hair... what was with them and hair color?

Haido got up quietly leaving after Kenji so as not to make himself nervous or awkward. He was a tad paranoid. Tohma pitied the boy, but didn't look it. Something had happened, and the blond would bet his company on the scene they had walked in on last week.

Tohma exited in time to walk beside Taki. If he was personally involved with the band, then he needed to confer with the manager to help get the job done.

"We need to fix it," he said in a low tone watching the three ahead of them.

Taki nodded, his eyes on Kenji's back. His walk was sedated, slow and tired. "They can't keep this up." His voice was equally low, quiet so only Tohma could hear. "We won't get anything done if they don't have the motivation."

It was the motive that they lacked now. They'd had it, and since that day, it was gone. Taki could only wonder at what kind of trouble they'd gotten themselves into beforehand, but there was no way to ask. Not without exchanged and quickly dropped looks, red faces, and mumbling shrugs.

They were impossible.

Sighing, Taki glanced at Tohma. "Any suggestions?"

They looked dead. Not physically, but dead in the way that there was no emotion. Not even hostility, something Taki was readily familiar with. There was nothing, just that same quiet acquiescence that wasn't doing them any good.

"Lock them in a room together is my best suggestion to fast forward what will eventually happen," Tohma murmured quietly.

It was inevitable. Even if it had been a moment of passion, the two of them wouldn't be acting like that unless there was something more too it. Unless only one of them was acting this way, but it was both.

If they locked them in a room together, well... the results would vary. It could range along the lines of tears, shouts or something more private. He didn't know if Taki would go for his suggestion either way, but it was something to keep in mind when they got desperate.

"We're almost done with this CD, Aizawa," he said firmly. "You know what comes next."

Concert. The first big concert, and then a tour, then another CD, if it all went as planned.

"I will not put up with a dead voice and soulless music."

"I wouldn't let you." Taki countered, hands slipping into his pockets.

How tempting was it just to lock them in a room? Incredibly tempting. Keiko was the only one who had some life to her. Would she find the inspiration if both Haido and Kenji stopped sulking?

Maybe, but Taki wasn't willing to risk it.

There was a small quirk to his lips as he slipped a hand out of his pocket and took Tohma by the elbow, stopping their progress down the hall. "You wouldn't happen to have your keys, would you?"

What better room to lock them in then the studio? They might even get some work done. Either that, or they'd break something. One could only hope for the better option.

Tohma halted, watching the group plod on. You could almost see the dark haze of their downcast emotion hanging over them. It was frightful what was happening to the band, though maybe it could be fixed.

No, it would be fixed.

He smiled slightly and wriggled a hand in his pocket, which produced the sound of muffled jingling. He had his keys. He never left without them. Mostly because of the incidents like the one Haido and Kenji had been caught in.

"Which room would you like?" the blond asked graciously, a bite of droll, but excited, sarcasm in his voice.

Taki could feel the smile spreading over his features, but it didn't occur to him to stop the progress. "The studio. Maybe they can get some work done while they're there." He snorted, because it was a highly unlikely prospect.

They'd probably kill each other. Or Keiko would kill her band members.

He didn't care, so long as the end result was a productive one. He didn't want to push any harder then he already was for a sellable track.

At this rate, though, they'd never make it onstage. They would be booed off before Kenji bothered to open his mouth.

Tohma was smiling widely and nodded happily. Wonderful! They could even watch the results from his office if they wanted. He pulled the keys from his pocket. It was a small ring choked with an assortment of keys all set by size order. He held them in a tight fist and nodded.

"Hurry or they'll come looking," the blond said, feeling excited.

Messing around with other people's lives always got the blood pumping.

_Author's Notes: Oh, Tohma. Why do you do such things?_

_Tohma: Because I can, of course._

_What are you? God?_

_Tohma: I'd like to think a lesser version thereof._

_But… I control you._

_Tohma: So you think! But you never planned half this stuff._

_o.O He's right! I know what you didn't know I knew I was gonna do._

_Tohma: Oh?_

_You'll just hate it. And then we'll see who's in charge!_

_I'm at the delusional stage of no sleeping. And if I take a nap, I'm fucked and off schedule. Tune in next time! It gets good._

_SL_


	24. Chapter 24

_Disclaimer: WHEEEE!_

_Author's Notes: Savannah, Georgia! Has more to do than Tallahassee, Florida. Tomorrow is Virginia. I'm very tired of traveling. My body is tired._

_You've seen it written a million times by now, but I'm sure you've all noticed Kel and I mention we hate a certain part of the story. Really, we do. As Kel said, it's head banging against a wall worthy. I'm trying to fix it as best I can, but it's like if the earth split open… you just can't fix that shit with duct tape and say 'all better!'. I need to get in touch with Kel on options on what to do._

_I apologize if chapters after this are late or slow. I'll have to painstakingly go over each chapter if we decide to fix it._

_If I have time to. Don't forget, I'm driving across country very soon. On the 30th of this month to be exact, and since I have all the chapters and editing to do, Transaction may take a week long (or a few days more) hiatus while I drive home to Jersey with my mommy. We're taking turns. Ooo. Fun. _

_Enjoy!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Twenty-Four_

"I'm going to the bathroom. Go warm up," Keiko said, detaching Kenji from her person.

She couldn't keep him from Haido forever.

Without the Keiko tumor at his side, Kenji felt cold and vulnerable. But, he nodded, pressing his arms to his sides as his hands pushed deep into his pockets. It would only be a few minutes alone in the studio. He could do that. He'd just warm up, like Keiko said.

He stepped into the studio first, acutely aware of Haido following him in. It was the first time they'd been alone since they'd been walked in on, and Kenji was nervous, and a little bit paranoid.

Adrenaline was the best feeling in the world, Taki decided. He nodded, giving Tohma a little nudge forward toward the door. He'd lock it if he had to, but he didn't have the keys.

He'd need some, soon. Especially if they ended up staying late for overtime.

Haido was barely aware of Keiko leaving, and more focused on the sudden feeling of an oncoming heart attack. His heart was pounding and he felt like it was going to burst apart. Haido didn't want to be alone with him! Kenji didn't want to be around him, so why bother?

Either way, he entered, door closing behind him.

Tohma walked forward quickly, pausing outside the door, he waited until it was close completely. He peeked into the window, saw them putzing around awkwardly. Quietly he slipped the key in and turned it, locking it tight. There was no inside lock, as that would defeat the purpose of keeping the building safe. No one could get in to begin with.

He smiled, admiring his handiwork before walking back over to Taki.

"Care to watch from my office?" he offered pleasantly.

Taki didn't stop the grin, though he definitely knew it was there. "Of course." Why bother doing it if they couldn't make sure the right results came out of the entire act? They would simply watch to make sure what needed to happen happened.

Kenji looked up, startled as he heard the door lock. At first, he didn't think it was what he thought it was, and, seemingly on autopilot, he crossed the room and tried the handle. His eyes widened in panic.

Locked. They were locked in a room together, and he... he couldn't handle that. He didn't know what to do.

"I..." His voice cracked, and he swallowed, mouth dry. "I think we're locked in..." Glancing over his shoulder at Haido, he bit his lip.

Keiko was walking around the corner, feeling a lot better. She was sighing happily when she caught sight of Tohma at the studio door, messing with the handle. Taki was standing a little ways off watching with...

A grin. Of all things, with a grin.

She watched the blond go back to Taki and the both walked off together looking... happy with themselves.

Weird.

She went over to the door and gave it an experimental turn. Locked.

"Fuck."

Keiko walked away and towards a break room. Hell, if Taki AND Tohma were up to something, she did not want to mess with it.

Haido looked up, finally, and towards the door over his shoulder. He wouldn't doubt it. He would even bet it was all Taki's idea too. He was just vindictive enough to do it. He sighed heavily, taking a seat at the small table.

"I'm... sorry about all of this," he said quietly and then shut his lips tight. Maybe Kenji didn't want to hear it.

Kenji shook his head, looking back at the door, then moving away from it. He fiddled with a knob on the soundboard, not particularly caring that he could be messing something up. It could be fixed.

"It's not your fault..." Kenji sighed, looking over at Haido. His stomach tightened again, but there was no great rush of overwhelming heat, and Kenji was grateful. "You didn't lock us in here, and you didn't tell them where to find us..."

Best not to bring that up again. He hadn't had the courage to ask for Haido's opinions, instead shutting off completely.

"You don't need to apologize." He finished lamely, looking back down at the soundboard again.

"I know," he muttered, putting his arms on the table and laying his head on them. "I just... I don't know. Nevermind."

Haido didn't know what he wanted to say, what could make the weirdness fall away. In the long run, maybe things would work themselves out. Who knew?

"So, when do you think they'll let us out?" he asked flatly. He felt the way he sounded, so he couldn't change it.

Haido sounded so unsure, and Kenji frowned. That uncertainty matched his own, and he moved around the table to sit down in front of Haido's chair. Back facing the other man, he wondered if this was making things better, or worse.

"I don't know." His elbows rested on his knees, and he idly tugged at a bit of his hair. Irrationally, he thought that maybe they'd be trapped in the room forever, and they'd die of starvation, or dehydration, or something worse.

That wouldn't happen, though. There were people all over the place. Eventually they'd be let out.

Haido watched Kenji from the corner of his eye as he kept his head down. The bright red hair looked like it could glow in the dark. He smiled slightly, hidden. From the look of how much dye had to be used though, he'd originally thought Kenji's hair would've been stiff. He remembered how it felt though... it wasn't hard at all.

And he was so close... mixed signals. Haido couldn't figure anything out now. He didn't know what Kenji seemed to want. That wasn't exactly bad, but it was messing with his own thoughts. That's what made it bad.

Cautiously, he nudge Kenji with his foot. A light tap, a little push. Maybe meant as playful, maybe trying to get his attention. Haido wasn't sure himself.

The nudge made him smile, and Kenji leaned back to bump Haido's knee with his shoulder. The smile faded, though, and he scooted back to rest his head against Haido's thigh.

He knew why he couldn't look at him, and it was such a simple reason. Something that should have been easily pushed aside.

He just wanted it to happen again, and it made him nervous. Kenji never felt anything quite like it, and it was almost unsettling.

Turning his head, he looked up at Haido with a torn expression. "They will let us out, right?" Sure, he was coming up on twenty, but he didn't feel any older then fifteen. Kenji simply couldn't help his immaturity.

Haido sat up, leaning over so his hands rested on Kenji's shoulders. He kept up his small smile as he looked down at the singer. How cute. He was so worried. It made him wonder if Kenji really thought they'd leave both of them here. Haido found it endearing. Even the look on his face.

"Yeah, they can't keep up in here forever," he assured Kenji quietly. "If nothing else, we do have cell phones..."

Haido paused. Now that it came to mind, would they leave? He dared to brush away a few startling strand of red hair from Kenji's eyes.

"But... we don't... have to go yet," he murmured, leaning down to press a light, quick kiss to the other man's lips.

Would it be so bad to stay and at least work things out?

There. It was happening again, wasn't it? Kenji blinked slowly, finally letting his eyes shut as one hand came up to the back of Haido's neck to keep him in place. It was happening again, and there was no way for them to be interrupted. Not without a warning first.

So there was no reason to worry. They had their phones, and now, they had time. Kenji wasn't against using what he had.

There was something strangely soft about the kiss. Entrancing, but not overwhelming. It was sweet, subtle but definitely there. Kenji almost felt guilty for parting his lips to invite Haido in, because surely doing that would send away that soft warmth. It couldn't linger when heat was doomed to come.

Haido was surprised when Kenji reached around and held him into the kiss. If nothing else, he figured he would've been rejected and pushed away. For some reason, he had the deep down feeling that Kenji didn't really want him. He shut his own eyes, slipping his tongue passed Kenji's lips slowly.

Yes, the eventual heat would kill the soft moment, but it didn't have to be right away.

It was different, kissing someone while they were 'upside down' like that. It was pretty interesting though. He let his unbandaged hand smooth over one side of the singers face, down his neck. He petted softly down the front of his chest.

A small sound left Kenji's throat, and the hand that wasn't curled around the back of Haido's neck rested just above his knee. Kenji braced himself, turning his body and rising up onto his knees to put less stress on Haido's neck.

This was a slower kiss then their first. More thorough, and Kenji wasn't caught up in a rush too fast to understand as he met Haido's tongue with his own.

As wonderful as the first kiss had been, he liked this one better. This wasn't an impulse kiss, a mistake. This was deliberate, and neither of them had any other want but to be there, doing what they were doing.

Sure, maybe they would have preferred the door being unlocked, or at least locked from the inside, but beggars can't be choosers. Kenji would take what he could get, and he'd enjoy it, too.

As much as Haido didn't want to, being curled over like this wasn't comfortable for even a short period of time. He had to pull back. He smiled at Kenji to show everything was fine, but nudged him to move. Once off his lap, Haido got up from the chair and slipped down to the floor next to Kenji.

"Sorry," he murmured, leaning in to kiss the singer again.

While doing that, he started to push the open button up shirt off Kenji's shoulders, leaving him in the dark tanktop he was wearing underneath it. His hand ran down the full front, then slipped under the bottom of the shirt, fingers just petting there softly.

No need to rush.

The shirt only came off of one shoulder, but Kenji wasn't in any rush to push it off the other. He couldn't help the way he rose into Haido's touch, urging his fingers up higher into the shirt, more contact.

He welcomed the kiss again, lips parting to urge out Haido's tongue. There was no doubt anymore. He wanted this, and even though he had never been entirely sure, he could trust his body if nothing else.

This - Haido - was what he wanted.

Kenji only needed one hand to hold him up, and the shirt had pooled around his wrist as he braced himself. The other hand, the one with the shirt still fully attached, ran down Haido's back, up to his shoulder, then down again, to his hips.

Haido nearly purred at the touch running down his side. It was hot and so was the room. The skin beneath his fingertips was just... alive and enticing. The way Kenji's body moved was fantastic and seemed so complex, though it was exactly how he moved.

He edged his hand continually upwards, shirt pushing it up. Haido broke the kiss again, nudging his head back to kiss at his neck. He licked at the flesh before hesitantly biting. It was gentle and right in the crook of his neck. Haido made sure not to use too much pressure in case it wasn't something Kenji liked.

Years of being beaten on, kicked, hit, scratched... Kenji was used to a little pain. It was hard not to be, when Keiko tromped around in big boots and kicked him when he woke her up. Years of it, but Kenji had never felt anything like what Haido was doing to him now.

He sucked in a shuddering breath, head tilting back to expose more skin. It was a dull ache, just barely enough to hurt, but it left his skin tingling. Kenji wasn't sure how to react.

Maybe it was the hand in his shirt that was making his breathing pick up, Kenji wasn't sure, but his skin burned where Haido touched. His hand fisted in Haido's shirt, and his chest rose and fell with the deep breaths he was taking in an attempt to keep himself calm.

Haido was loving the reaction such small actions received. He pushed the shirt up the rest of the way, sucking lightly on Kenji's neck, trying not to smile at the way the other man was getting worked up. It was cute, but such atempt.

His fingers played over a nipple, pinching it, tugging it gently. He wanted to drag more sounds and reactions from Kenji. He loved how he moved and squirmed and tried to keep control. Haido wanted to make him lose it.

He released the skin between his teeth, smiling against the damp spot of skin. Like the first time, Haido started to ease Kenji onto his back. Once done, he had to use his good hand to hold up his weight, his bandaged one resting lightly on Kenji's hip. He looked down at the singer, smile turning into a small smirk, eyes dancing. He looked so absolutely helpless.

He leaned down to kiss Kenji again, though it didn't last long. Haido continued back down his neck, over the shirt he would remember to remove completely later. He went slow though, placing a small line of alternating kisses and bites.

The pinch to his nipple made him gasp, followed quickly by a groan. Kenji bit his lip as he was lowered down, looking up at Haido's amused expression with wide, heated eyes.

He was doing this on purpose, and that look just sealed it. Haido was going to drive him insane.

The kiss that followed was irritatingly brief, but Kenji couldn't even begin to protest because Haido's mouth was on his neck in an instant. First a kiss, and he shivered. Then a bite, and he moaned. His eyes shut, and he took a careful breath as Haido moved over his shirt.

How much better would this be with the shirt off? How much more contact would they have?

"Haido..." It was low, purposefully pitched to take Haido's attention. Kenji's hands moved to fist in the bottom of the synth players shirt.

Haido paused mid lick across Kenji's chest, eyes flicking up towards the singer's face. Perfect, really. He looked between holding back a moan and... and what? Smiling? Maybe. He really didn't care much, it was the voice that got to him. He couldn't exactly be musically inclined and tone deaf. Haido love sounds, especially that of a lover.

Not quite a fetish, but certainly a weak point.

He felt his shirt bunch up at his sides and his lips quirked. He felt like purring at the sound of Kenji's voice. Haido thought it was perfect, and if he had known it was a slightly planned move, he wouldn't've been able to fight it anymore than now.

"You... want this off, I take it?" he asked, sitting up a bit to let Kenji lift the shirt if he so wanted.

Yes, the shirt had to go. There was no way it could possibly stay on without Kenji's impatience getting in the way. He was glad that Haido wasn't protesting at it's removal.

Kenji didn't know what was going to happen. He had nothing but his own intuitions and instincts to go on, and every cell in his body wanted that shirt off.

It was too loose, anyway. He couldn't get the faintest idea of what Haido looked like without it.

Pushing himself up, he pulled Haido's shirt over his head. He didn't chance a glance until the t-shirt was on the floor, and without realizing it, he took his lower lip between his teeth. Despite all of his efforts, he couldn't get his eyes back up to Haido's face.

It wasn't the most impressive chest he'd ever seen. In fact, Haido was fairly thin, barely more broad in the shoulders then he was. And built? Not particularly, but it was more along the idea that this was really Haido. There were no disguises, nothing to cover.

This was just him. If nothing else, Kenji loved that.

Using the hand that had been holding him up, the shirt that had pooled around his wrist slipped off. Kenji didn't care, fingers brushing lightly over the smooth, warm skin now at his disposal. Almost hesitant, then the touch grew harder, gained confidence as Kenji took it upon himself to explore the new and yet uncharted skin.

It would've been a lie to say that Haido had full confidence in his own self. Though, he let Kenji remove his shirt without argument, he'd held his breath during it. He didn't know what he was expecting. Muffled laughter maybe, awkwardness, but not Kenji's hand moving over him. He was small, tiny even. The clothes he wore didn't help, but certainly made him feel better. He could hide in them.

With them off, where could he hide?

He released his breath in a quiet whoosh of air, stopping all his motions to let Kenji do as he wished. Haido almost looked like he was meditating that way, silent, still, but he was just nervous. When it felt like Kenji was gaining his own confidence, he felt a little better about it. He wasn't turning away. If anything, he may have been afraid that once Kenji saw the removal of clothes, he would've stopped completely and backed off.

Haido sighed quietly, openly enjoying the touch, a little half smile on his lips, eyes half lidded.

_Author's Notes: Dun dun DUUUUUUN! dramatic reverb See what happens next. I have to take the puppy to the vet for some shots. I feels bad for him!_

_Drop us a line._

_SL_


	25. Chapter 25

_Disclaimer: Don't own it. Except Opium._

_Author's Notes: So, I'm back home in Jersey. And… I have to admit, I'd like to be home. Oh, wow. I just called California home. That's a bit odd. I'm not very happy back here. Oh well, stick it out while I have to, y'know? Anyways._

_These few chapters were fun, and hell for us to write. Little did we know how bad we screwed up once we decided to put this up for all to read. But we're fixing it. We're working out the bugs. Scouts Honor!_

_Enjoy!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Twenty-Five_

Tohma was standing before a section of wall that had monitors, the one in the center showing, yet again, pornography in progress. He'd felt victorious at the sight of the kiss. He'd looked at Taki and raised his glass of rum as if in toast to good work. But, they hadn't gone back to unlock the door right away. After all, what if Kenji had reacted badly?

But he hadn't and now before them lay a screen showing them two younger men in the process of removing each others clothing. He had an eyebrow raised and looked at Taki from the corner of his eye.

What to say? What to do?

He sipped his drink deciding that staying silent would be his best option at the moment.

He was gripping the glass too tight, Taki knew it, but he was afraid that if he loosened his fingers, he would let go completely. As it was, it was his hold on the empty glass that was keeping him in place anyway.

As much as he knew he shouldn't be watching what was still playing out on the screen, Taki couldn't look away. How long had it been since he'd indulged in watching anything like this?

Months. It had been years since the act itself. He knew that. He could still remember the last time.

And thinking about that made this hurt all the more. It was a strain to walk already, but Taki didn't want to imagine how bad it would be if he actually had to move.

His mouth was dry, his fingers felt increasingly weak, and his pants were really beginning to hurt. Taki knew he had to leave, get out of the office, maybe even the building before his condition was recognized. Of all things, he didn't need that.

The tap of his glass against Tohma's desk was loud, and Taki masked a wince as he crossed the room stiffly to get to the door. He couldn't even manage an excuse, he just needed out. There was no way he could sit and watch... that, without Tohma recognizing exactly what was happening to him.

He couldn't do it. He would not put himself through that.

The secretary tried to stop the young girl with orange hair, but she just blew by her. Keiko knew they were behind his, and all it took was a sweet look at a worker that had some keys, girlishly innocent question ("That one is the key to, Seguchi-san's office? You must be so important to have it!") and she took the lift right away.

A quick slip and turn of a key, and the revenge was exacted. She was sure Kenji would've been proud of her.

When he tried the door, his eyes widened. The handle simply rattled, and he tried it again. "Shit." He breathed, then repeated it louder.

They were locked in.

Tohma turned towards Taki languidly, ice in his glass clinking merrily, quite a contrast to the situation. His face was even and smooth, looking without emotion, though he didn't know what to think really. After watching Taki fidget for a few minutes, he knew what was 'wrong' with the other man. Now, watching him actually try to leave?

Well... he didn't think that would've happened.

"I'm sorry Taki," Tohma said with a small smile. "What's wrong?"

As in some outside force out of Tohma's control in the very building he controlled had come and put a stop on something in his everyday routine? He knew, deep down as he saw Taki near the door, seeing that he hadn't left, that they were locked in.

No, that wasn't right. That didn't happen. Never happened. It wasn't... it wasn't plausible. In Tohma's world, which was this building itself, things went along according to him. He hadn't ordered this, it certainly couldn't be happening.

The blond set his drink down as well and walked over to Taki, brushing his hand aside. His own slim fingers gripped the handle and turned it with full confidence it would open.

It rattled and stuck halfway.

Tohma stared at it, face falling. He pulled his hand away like he was burned and looked at Taki, dumbstruck.

"We're locked in..."

Taki nodded, feeling as though his tongue was glued to the top of his mouth. It was taking too much to keep himself calm, because he'd already been fairly irrational before he'd reached the door.

Standing next to Tohma wasn't doing him any good, but he couldn't turn because he'd be faced with the wall of monitors, and his eyes would automatically turn to the very one he couldn't stand to look at. He would never be able to consider Haido and Kenji the same way, and that was frankly rather irritating, because now he didn't know how to consider them at all.

It was all a matter of time, though. He would worry about it later. For now, he had more pressing matters at hand.

"I can't stay in here." Emphasis on the 'can't.' He couldn't. He would go mad, and he'd had more then his fair share of trauma therapy. He didn't need more for a potentially sanity-threatening situation that involved work porn, his band, and his boss. Not to mention a locked door!

It was almost a cliché. It had to be planned. The entire situation was just too well set up. A chain of coincidences? Perhaps, but it was too unlikely. There had to be some sort of greater power, someone who had a checklist of things to happen throughout the day.

Taki had never considered being religious, and the idea was gone as soon as he came to the conclusion that it was impossible.

It was mind boggling. Something had happened to him. Him! The boss! Seguchi Tohma! Things didn't happen to him unless they were thoroughly planned out by him. This wasn't making sense. Tohma felt his chest tighten up and for a fearful moment, the thought he would start hyperventilating.

But he calmed himself.

Nothing to get worked up over, right? Right. One glitch in the system was all. Obviously, he could call someone, get this fixed right away. There was no need to worry. He could get them out of here at anytime.

Ah, back in the seat of power. It felt damn good and comfortable after that bump. Always good to have control. Slipping just never felt... good.

The blond sighed, shaking his head as if to clear it and smiled softly, hands slipping into his pockets. Any more time watching that camera and he would've 'needed' to get out too. Though he wasn't as hard pressed as Taki, he was certainly close to the same agitated state.

"Well, we'll just have to wait," Tohma sighed, walking back over to his desk, sitting in his large chair. "Nothing I can really do."

There had been a time period in his life where Taki believed that Seguchi Tohma could do anything. That, ironically speaking, he could open any door. Create a pathway of light to some sort of nirvana.

It was that phase that Taki had been relying on now. That assurance that yes, Tohma could get them out. And he could go, and be free of the pressure that just wouldn't go away.

What he hadn't expected, was the outright denial of that relief. Nothing Tohma could really do? Nothing? That meant they were really locked in. Just the two of them, and the live, still playing scene on the monitor.

Taki turned and let his back hit the door. He dropped down it, onto the floor. One knee bent, staying up in the air, and he stretched the other leg in front of him. It did nothing to help his current physical state, but there was clearly nothing he could do about it.

Not if Tohma couldn't get this door open. He was just stuck waiting until it went away, and each glance at that monitor brought it back ten-fold.

Within seconds, he'd started to shift. His hands were restless, picking at his pants, then the floor, then themselves. He needed a distraction. Something to do. He couldn't just sit like this and submit himself to someone else's will.

Finally, he looked up at Tohma, fighting with a rise of hope. "Are you sure there's nothing you can do?" Surely, there had to be something. There just had to be.

Tohma had been staring at the screen on the wall. His hands were folded, elbows resting on the desk, chin on the back of his hands. Under the desk of course, not visible to Taki, was his own growing problem. Those two... Oh, it wasn't as though Tohma didn't dabble in the sexual visuals, in fact he had quite an extensive collection. He wasn't a strange to sex, though lately it had been lagging. There was just something a little extra about watching two people you knew on some personal level in a place they thought they were alone. Things like this were much different without a script and cheesy acting.

He looked over at Taki, once again back to being full confident. He eyed the man with an odd glance, the small smile never changing. Oh, there were a few things he could do...

But that would require getting up. Tohma wasn't lazy, but it would certainly be more entertaining to try and draw Taki over to him. Either way, he would wind up pleased.

The blond made a small hum in comment to Taki's question as he removed his gloves, placing them on the desktop. He eased back into the large seat, leather sighing quietly. He looked over at Taki once more, discreetly. First it was small, eyes glued to the movements of Kenji and Haido on screen and he would just press the palm of his hand against the erection obviously displayed in his position, sighing every once in a while. After a few moments, he tired of it and unbuttoned the pants, slowly tugging the zipper down.

His eyes did not leave the screen.

Once the zipper couldn't go down anymore, he slipped his hand between the folds of cloth and removed his erection, looking absolutely relaxed about the whole ordeal. Still never giving a second glance towards Taki, he began to move his hand up and down his length as if he were alone in his office with the privacy to do such.

At first, the obvious touches made Taki glance away, shift his eyes to something less interesting. Like the floor. But there was nothing on the floor for him to look at, and inevitably, his eyes found Tohma again.

Tohma wasn't looking at him, and that was good. Taki was sure the expression on his face was not one he wanted to witness.

Taki couldn't get himself to look away now, not if he tried. Tohma's hand was moving fluidly, and Taki could feel his breathing become steadily more labored. The urge to rise and cross the room was strong, but surely... Tohma didn't want him to do that.

What was he, a fool? Taki swallowed, hands fisting behind the cover of his leg. Why would Tohma be doing it, well out in the open, if it wasn't some sort of invitation? There was no time to think about it, because he was rising, pushing himself across the room.

They were both adults. If this went badly, they would be able to handle it. Taki was aware of what his actions could do, but he found himself disregarding the risk for one reason only.

He just didn't give a damn.

Dropping carefully onto his knees in front of Tohma, Taki barely spared a glance up at him, his hand moving to stop Tohma's and replace it.

The erection in his grasp was hot and hard, skin soft around it. It was easier to think of it as some separate thing, because regarding it as a part of Tohma was just too hard for Taki to accept.

Two years without anything like this, but it was a natural instinct to move his hand, matching the pace he'd stopped Tohma from doing. He didn't look up at Tohma as he lowered his head to place a deliberate lick to the tip.

When he saw the dark spot that was Taki from the corner of his eye get up, he felt a rise of victory on his part. He'd done it! He hadn't even expected it to work so well, so quickly. What came next was not of his imagination, or of his persuasion.

While Taki didn't look up at Tohma, Tohma looked down at him, curious, a little shocked and very pleased. He let his hand get pushed aside and sighed, sinking deeply into the chair as Taki's hand curled around his arousal. Both hands rested on the armrests, flexing, but remaining still. He shifted, spreading his legs wider to get comfortable.

The blond looked absolutely content. The cat who ate the canary, basically. A hot tongue connected with the sensitive flesh, he let out tight moan out, hand squeezing the chair. Restless, they moved to bury themselves into the dark hair atop Taki's head, breathing his name under his breath.

The moan, his name... Taki shuddered, looking up at Tohma as well as he could with those hands buried in his hair. Strong hands, though thin and fragile. Taki had been at the mercy of those hands before, though never quite in a situation like this.

He knew he'd given in, done what Tohma wanted him to when he caught sight of that expression. Smug, content. To his surprise, there was no surge of disgust, nothing that he would normally have felt. There was only Tohma in his hand, and his taste in his mouth.

Strange.

But, nevertheless, Taki leaned down again, taking the entire tip into his mouth. At first, it felt awkward. He hadn't done this in a very long time. What if he was bad at it? But, just like riding a bike, some things are memorized by muscles, not the mind.

His hand was bumping against his lips as he took more of Tohma into his mouth, pulling back to concentrate instead on the head. That was where everything was felt. Anything after it was really just a bonus.

Tohma's hands tightened and his eyes shut as he took a shuddering breath. Taki hadn't lost anything over the years he hadn't been in use. Not at all. His tongue was as talented at this as it had been at singing, and Tohma hadn't complained with either performance.

This was wonderful, both relaxing and nerve-wracking all at once. A huge living contrast. It would be so easy so just let go and enjoy this fully and get off nice and easy. But... it wasn't enough. The blond could be satisfied with using Taki this way, but it wasn't far enough.

He let the ex singer continue, unable to just bring everything to a halt. But eventually he placed a hand over Taki's, stopping it. Detangling his other hand, he nudged Taki, telling him without words to remove his mouth. Once he had done so, Tohma leaned down awkwardly to kiss the other man.

If the stop to his progress had been shocking, it was nothing compared to the kiss. Taki was frozen in shock, his hands on Tohma's knees. Kisses. He'd always thought they were soft things, things reserved for people who cared about each other, so it was a surprise when Tohma's lips met his.

With Tohma's expression the way it had been before, Taki had just assumed he would become something of a tool. Used, and they wouldn't have to talk about the event. Sex for the purpose of sex alone. He would have been fine with that, even with his physical inactivity.

But a kiss? Kisses slowed things down, dragged out acts that didn't need to take that long. Kisses brought in feeling, and attachment, and all sorts of things that neither of them needed.

And yet, his lips parted. For as long as it had been since he'd had sex, it had been longer since he was kissed, and it was a welcome change. He couldn't move without making their position more difficult, so he stayed still, fingers gripping carefully where they rested on Tohma's clothed thighs.

He took the invitation of Taki's open mouth simply on instinct. It hadn't been his plan to make something sentimental out of this. But there was a certain amount of respect and feeling you had to give to the person you were with at the time.

Okay, and Tohma didn't think Taki would've gone for anything if he had asked for an out right fuck.

Now he had to figure out which would be more comfortable for Taki considering his legs weren't up to par. Bent over the desk, on the floor, in the chair... so many options.

_Author's Notes: Before this editing, Keiko wasn't mentioned in this chapter at all, save for our imaginations. I always assumed Keiko had been the one to lock Tohma and Taki in together, but I never wrote it out for some reason. But I threw in those few lines, and I figure it makes sense to all the public now, and it's not drawn out. Just a brief pop in, pop out thing._

_Anyways, leave us a review!_

_SL_


	26. Chapter 26

_Disclaimer: Opium is ours. That's it._

_Author's Notes: Alright, as much as coming home felt great at first, the thrill is over. I'd like to go back to California now. This town is a bubble and I keep running into people I wish would stay buried in the past. It's making me quite ill. Not that I advise running away from your problems or your past, but it's hard to leave things alone when the irritant is always popping up. Ah, well._

_Anyways, thanks for the reviews. The steady reply from Silverone, as always, it's a pleasure. I'm so glad you grasp the finer points of these chapters. Although the smut is quite fun, you can see beyond that. You make Kel and I happy. ._

_Enjoy!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Twenty-Six_

When he'd started touching, Kenji hadn't been sure where to go. At first, his hand moved without purpose, touching what he thought needed to be touched. He didn't know where Haido liked pressure, or how much... Really, he knew nothing about Haido's preferences, but he wanted to learn.

When he put his mind to it, Kenji was a good student.

At first, he was judging by sound. There weren't many, and Kenji was trying his own patience, and probably Haido's. Then, it was the soft intakes of breath, shaky sighs, and the little things he'd passed over before. Those meant good things, right? So whatever he'd been doing to get those had to be good.

The only problem was, Kenji wanted to be able to hear Haido, even if it was only once. He really wanted to hear him.

Maybe Haido was one of those people who did to their partners what they wanted to have done to themselves. It was worth a shot, if nothing else.

Kenji sat up, instead of leaning back, and swallowed hard as he pressed his lips to Haido's neck. Haido was being very patient with him, and he was glad. He wasn't quite sure what he was doing, feeling awkward, like he had three arms, but only one task. It was hard enough to concentrate with only two.

Opening his mouth, he bit gently, just at the crook, where neck met shoulder. How much pain did Haido like? Did he like any at all?

All of the questions, the nervousness, were making Kenji feel sick.

Kenji was learning little by little, though Haido wasn't a very good teacher, this he could admit. He didn't make any specific noises or comment. He was just as quiet as usual. Haido didn't know why, thought it could maybe be explained by his house. His mother had never insisted on silence, but to Haido, there had always been something about her that made him quiet, even when he was little he'd been quiet.

He stirred slightly as Kenji sat up and pulled close, but didn't back away. Haido let the other man move in and press into his neck. He tilted his head to one side to make it easier. He hummed in content at the light kiss before inhaling sharply at the bite. It was soft though. Light, easy. A nice first try, but he wasn't made of glass.

"Harder," he whispered, as if someone could hear them. He knew no one could, but that's how it seemed to him.

Kenji could only be hesitant for so long. Eventually, his loud, abrasive, bold attitude had to come back, and when it did, there would really be no stopping it. It was just the way he was.

Harder, though. That was something, and at least now he knew what to do!

One hand slid around Haido's back, touch growing increasingly light as he reached the waist line of the pants. His mouth moved, shifting up Haido's neck to reach fresh skin.

As he bit down, harder then before, his hand slid around, to the front. Even still, it was a careful bite, with just enough pressure to make it hurt, sting and throb a little, but not blaze with pain. Kenji wasn't sure if Haido would like that.

He was still careful, but he had done as asked. A low moan hitched in his throat when Kenji bit down, eyes shutting. It was just fine as far as he was concerned. Haido loved the way the teeth pressed down hard, but not hard enough to hurt, each little point and groove in his skin.

His bandaged hand rested on the back of Kenji's head, his other one on Kenji's hip, fingers twitching periodically. He couldn't think, and didn't want to, but he made his hand move to the front of Kenji's pants. He didn't open them, but pressed his palm hard against the straining erection.

Kenji had pulled back to press a kiss to the small mark on Haido's neck when he felt the press against something that he'd been trying to ignore. Haido's moan alone had sent a thrill shooting through him, but now...

His eyes widened, and his own fingers curled into the waist band of Haido's pants. The moan that passed his lips was not soft, as Kenji wasn't really certain how to make a moan any quieter then it already was.

But it didn't matter, because that hand was still there, hot and heavy against him. Through the fabric. Damn his pants. Damn them. They were only in the way, and it would be so, so much better if they could just disappear.

Haido sighed softly, smiling a bit as he felt Kenji rest up against him. Again, such a big response from an action so small. Haido couldn't help but keep thinking that Kenji was cute and dorky and just so... everything he hadn't thought.

He pressed his lips to the top of Kenji's ear in a small kiss. Haido could only assume that this would be Kenji's first time with... well, any of this. He couldn't even begin to imagine what he, himself, had been like. He couldn't've been this cute. It was just so... something unable to put to words, really.

But he knew what not to do for all of this, at least he hoped so.

Haido moved to the button on the jeans. They were already tight as that was how they were made, but he had to sympathize. It must've been more than uncomfortable at the moment. He worked the button through the hole, and eased down the zipper.

The he hesitated. "You okay with this?" he whispered.

First time or not, Kenji wasn't going to let himself hesitate or stop the inevitable. They couldn't be interrupted, and he trusted Haido. Everything would be okay, even if Kenji didn't take the time to think things through.

Nodding, he moved one hand to guide Haido's hand into his pants. It was clear he hadn't really thought before acting, because he wasn't braced for the feeling of someone elses fingers touching him.

Eyes wide, Kenji couldn't make a noise because he was trying to convince himself to breathe. Using his small height advantage, his back curved, and he rested his head on Haido's shoulder as he sucked in a breath.

He had never, ever felt anything like this. Just like before, he was too warm, clothes weighing heavily on his skin. There had never been anything like this before, and Kenji was left helplessly aroused from just one touch.

Haido kissed his temple, holding him loosely as he fisted the erection tightly. He moved his hand, finding it a bit difficult with the pants. It wasn't very comfortable. Haido had to stop, remove his hand and make him shift around so he could at least work the pants down off his hips.

Once done with that, he went back to the freed arousal, wrapping his fingers around the thick flesh, now moving at a smooth pace. All the while, he pressed soft, light kisses to the side of Kenji's face, lower to his cheek and neck. Haido just wanted him to feel comforted at the same time.

Mostly, he was going on basic instinct.

Kenji could feel his muscles tightening, and his eyes squeezed shut as he moaned into Haido's neck. Biting his lip, his hips shifted into Haido's hand, and the fingers that were curled into the front of Haido's pants tightened.

Just a hand, and he felt as if he wouldn't be able to handle any more.

His fingers fumbled, thumb pushing at the button of Haido's pants. It was almost a physical need, and Kenji's eyes opened as his hand moved, wrist turned at an awkward angle to get the position he needed. Raising his head, he worried his lip between his teeth as he looked up at Haido.

He knew that he hadn't protested any when Haido had undone his pants, but... Haido wasn't him. Would he react badly, or could he really just undo his pants without worry?

Haido worked with every move and twitch Kenji made. It was only to keep things going smoothly. If nothing else, Haido didn't let his expectations get further than this. Why should he expect any less? It was only one step at a time.

He looked down at Kenji from the corner of his eye. He saw the worry written all over his face. Haido nodded slightly, telling him it was fine to do so. Again, he still wasn't fully sure of himself, but it was only fair to allow Kenji the same privilege he had taken.

Was it just him, or did Haido look a bit... nervous? Kenji wasn't at all comforted, looking down at his hands as he brought the other to help the process. When the zipper came down, he was biting his lip, head bowed so all Haido could see was red.

He didn't have room to judge, none at all. Kenji didn't think Haido had to be nervous, but, rather like laughter, the feeling was contagious and he couldn't make it go away.

His hands pushed the pants down, and one reached inside to pull Haido free.

It didn't seem to matter to him that this was his first time touching another man. Actually, it didn't occur to him at all, so he was safely unbothered by thoughts of first times and new experiences.

He was just trying to take it as it came.

When Haido was in view, Kenji's mouth was dry. He'd been right, because there was no reason at all for Haido to be nervous. Bringing his head back up, Kenji straightened his back to brush his lips over Haido's.

Haido couldn't help it. He'd always been self conscious. He'd always been on the short side, and obviously smaller than most. He was always worried that he'd always be treated like something breakable. Haido didn't want that. It was why he wore the loose fitting clothes and was nervous about every step of this ordeal.

Beyond the mass of violent red that was Kenji's bowed head, he saw the singer's hands move and release him. Meanwhile, his own hand had slowed, stopping. He was faintly aware of the erection now loosely held in his hand.

When Kenji looked up, he almost looked away, but couldn't before he was kissed. Haido pushed back slightly against Kenji's lips, bandaged hand resting on one of Kenji's shoulders.

How could he guide Kenji through this? He was no teacher.

_Author's Notes: So far so good. I noticed a lot of non-dirty lines that are sooooooo dirty! I didn't even notice them before. Anyways, this was a difficult scene to do, for me at least. Haido, who knew he was gay, but so cautious and slow… I was starting to wonder if he was a virgin, too. But, no. I think… I think, really, after rereading this, Haido was just waiting to find out how to handle who would be on top and who would be on the bottom._

_Look at him! He would be a bottom, of course. But as a lot of my gay friends (after drunken conversations) have made me realize, it just depends. I have one guy who tops almost all the time, but he says if it's love, he'll be on bottom. He doesn't care. Another who really wants to be a bottom, but tops a lot. So, it's never a set, ingrained thing. Of course, the easiest way to teach Kenji would've been to have him top (I don't think either of us knew if he'd been with a woman) cause you just stick it in the hole! Not that hard._

_But Haido is so much more of a generous person than that. He'd taken a position of dominance in this scene. He was trying to get across how to do things, so Kenji would know. You should always try everything once, that's what I say. Problem was, Haido's never been with a virgin before._

_Poor, naïve Haido. Despite his efforts, he doesn't know that most virgins never have a completely satisfying time. Well, that's my opinion, anyways. Seems to be true… well, at least with the girls. I never asked one of my gay boys. Dude… I should. _

_SL_


	27. Chapter 27

_Disclaimer: Blah blah blah, crap, blah._

_Author's Notes: Here we are for another round! Zookeeper, this is for you! I'm sure you'll love it._

_Enjoy._

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Twenty-Seven_

Taki had changed his mind about kisses. Or, at least Tohma's kisses. They weren't soft things. No, they were hot and heavy, and certainly not something he would have associated with Tohma. No, not until several minutes ago had he even considered Tohma in such an explicit manner.

Pushed back against the desk, Taki was glad the surface was mostly empty. Tohma's desk was always empty, even when the man had piles and piles of work. The surface was clean, save for a few things. And now, Taki was pressed against it, Tohma over him, both of them breathing hard.

He'd left his jacket in the studio, hours before. He had on only the thin dress shirt and his pants, while Tohma was still fully dressed, save for the open pants and removed gloves.

He was watching Tohma closely, his hands moving to unbutton the jacket. And still, his eyes didn't move. Didn't flick to the screen, or away from the green eyes that met his. No, the stare they shared was full of silent communication, and one, set decision.

Tohma didn't mind the exertion it took, being with an obstinate lover. Taki wasn't anything but. Of course it seemed as though he'd given in on his own willingly enough, but mentally was another story. The look in the ex singer's dark eyes was one of pure stubbornness. The blond always knew he was, but such a fury of it!

While Taki's hands were undoing the jacket buttons, Tohma was busy undoing the buttons of the dark haired man's dress shirt. He bent low over Taki, hovering for a moment before kissing him hard again, eyes shutting. His hands pushed apart the undone shirt, running over the skin, pausing to shrug off the jacket.

Another hard kiss, and Taki stifled a noise in Tohma's mouth. There were hands on his skin, and they weren't his. It felt like forever since he'd felt anything like this, and he shifted on the desk to urge Tohma's hands to touch more.

The jacket was off, though, and kiss was forceful and demanding, hot, leaving him with a muggy sense of reality. He felt the hard press of the buttons as he struggled to undo Tohma's shirt. His fingers slipped, and it was with a great effort that the shirt came undone.

It was hard to think, move when Tohma was touching him. Harder still to operate with that mouth on his, taking control without asking.

Taki loved the feeling. He loved the way it felt, to be taken so thoroughly, recklessly. He loved it and hated it, and he was stuck somewhere in between, well aware that this was Tohma.

And Tohma was damn good.

He felt the cooler air hit him as the heat left his body once the shirt was open. Taki's backside was resting just on the edge of the desk, Tohma between his legs. Their bodies were so close together and his pants were still open and slipping down his hips.

Tohma pressed their hips together, grinding his freed arousal against the almost rough feel of Taki's pants, his own contained erection very obvious in the thin cloth. His fingers toyed with the ex singer's nipples, teasing them to attention as he broke the kiss, going right for Taki's neck.

He bit down with little thought as to going gently. If he didn't make Taki bleed, it was fine. Restraint was nonexistent. He didn't know what the dark haired man was doing to him, but he wasn't sure if he liked it or not.

Then again, as he panted into Taki's neck, how could he think of anything that was better than this?

Taki could feel the desk pressing into his skin, through the cloth of his shirt, which was pinned behind him. Tohma was pressed against him, their hips grinding together. The kiss locked him in place as he pressed his hips back against Tohma, groaning at the pressure of the tight enclosure that was his pants.

They would have to go, and that necessity only grew more urgent as Tohma's fingers found his nipples. Strong fingers, the same fingers and hands that had pushed him against the desk, directed his face for the kiss, undone his shirt and pushed it aside, pinched and pulled, and pushed him to the brink of what he was sure was insanity.

How could Tohma possibly be doing this to him? It was a sensory overload, and Taki could only blame it on his own inactivity. Surely, it wasn't Tohma. No.

Then the kiss was broken, and a hard bite was delivered to his neck. Taki let out a raw moan, almost enough to be a cry. His lips buzzed, his mouth was too dry, and he was panting as he tried in vain to bring enough air into his lungs.

God, what was Tohma doing to him?

He could feel Tohma's hot, damp breath hit his skin, and his hands slid over Tohma's back. They fisted in the shirt, tugging it off first one shoulder, then the other. Too eager, he realized. Too willing to submit to Tohma's will.

Tohma groaned, moving his arms, relieving Taki of the torture from pinching. He shifted, having to release the other man's neck, letting Taki tug the shirt roughly off him. It fell behind him to the floor and now having the room, he unbuttoned Taki's pants.

There was no asking for consent. There were no whispered questions and words passed between them. There was only the hot look of glazed eyes through strands of hair and slightly parted lips panting. Always daring. The looks edged each other to go further and further. Taunting the other about what would happen if one of them stopped or backed down.

Tohma would do no such thing.

He yanked down the zipper and hooked his fingers in the waistband of the pants, pulling them down. The blond looked down and his lips twitched. Well, wasn't he cute? Taki wasn't exactly all that impressive.

Tohma stepped back and lowered himself between Taki's legs. First he removed on of his shoes and then the pant leg, making access easier. After that, he slid his finger down the other man's leg, holding his thighs apart as he took Taki's erection in hand and let it slip between his lips.

Damn that look, and damn the man who gave it. Taki's eyes narrowed, and anger rose as he caught the look, the amused twitch of lips. He didn't need that kind of shit rubbed in. It was already painfully obvious to him.

He was about to tell Tohma exactly what was on his mind, with a few choice phrases thrown in for flavor, when Tohma dropped to his knees on the floor. One thin hand wrapped around him, and Taki gasped, eyes threatening to close.

He was in Tohma's mouth within seconds, all wet, tight heat. He let out a choked noise, followed by a breathless, desperate, "Damn you..." that he just couldn't make himself mean.

Taki gripped the edge of the desk tight, gritting his teeth to keep back the louder sounds. It was his own pride that kept him from letting it out, just as it was his pride that wouldn't let him back down, or beg for more. Always a matter of pride and obstinacy. Always something to keep him in check.

Two years before, 'in check' wouldn't even have been an idea.

Tohma knew the curse was meaningless. He was starting to realize that he could do anything and it wouldn't matter. Taki would not stop him. He would've liked to see the mental break of pride in the dark haired man's eyes, but that may have been stretching his own abilities.

He was able to see Taki's hand white knuckled from their grip on his desk. He was struggling. The noises were muffled and he was straining an ear to hear them anyway.

Tohma hummed slightly as he worked his tongue, bobbing his head a little bit (would it be rude to say he didn't have to at all? Yes, maybe...). Still, he always enjoyed performing the act as much as receiving it.

If there was one reason why Taki could never have been a suitable top, it was his size. He'd always been small in stature, shoulders barely making it to a suitable width. His hips were too feminine, curved and prominent. And below the waist...

He was less then impressive. For all that it pissed him off, he couldn't blame Tohma's reaction.

He just hated it.

Just like he hated that Tohma could be laughing at him now, inside his head, and still make him feel like this. Helplessly aroused, dancing close to the edge Tohma would probably never let him reach. At least, that was what it felt like, moans breaking through his restraint as Tohma's tongue moved over him.

Damn Tohma. Damn every little bit of him.

With a soft sucking sound, Tohma let the other man pass from his lips. He ran his tongue over his lips out of habit as he pushed Taki's legs up a little more. He ran his tongue over Taki's sac, crouching down a little more. With his thumbs, he parted the other man's backside, revealing his entrance. Tohma smiled. He wondered if Taki had ever had this done to him.

With a few placed kisses and even a few small, sharp nips, the blond ran his tongue around the outside of Taki's opening, teasing it and probing slightly with the tip of his tongue. Tohma couldn't resist, like a hunger he would satisfy until it killed him. He pushed his tongue in, wriggling it as he went.

Tohma could only imagine the sound and reaction this would get him. If nothing else, this was another test. Would Taki try to stop him? Would Tohma even do it?

Taki was confused when Tohma pulled back, brow furrowing up at the ceiling as he stifled yet another moan at one of the hard nips. What was Tohma doing? They didn't have lubricant, or...

Or...

He gasped breathlessly, muscles searing in protest as Tohma's tongue pushed deep. That was the first thing to go inside in years. Years! His breathing was shallow, chest rising and falling too rapidly to do him any good.

For all that it hurt, stung, burned, and ached, Taki couldn't deny one thing. The pain was stirring something deep inside him, some dormant beast of masochism. It rose, and the pain became beautiful. He didn't want it to stop.

"Harder" and "deeper" wouldn't begin to cover his wants.

It was a tight heat that made his tongue feel cold in comparison, and it was only tighter still as Taki's body tried to reject him. He loved the sounds Taki was making; confusion, pain and a deep settled lust. Tohma didn't know how he could fit all those emotions in, but he did it so well.

From Tohma's guess, it felt like it had been too long for the ex singer. Personal experience and a good guess brought him to that conclusion. He pulled his tongue out before thrusting it back in as deep as it could go. While playing around a bit, he was also trying to stretch and lubricate a little bit if he could.

It wasn't all for fun.

Tohma wondered how long Taki could handle this. Something close to what he wanted, but not nearly as satisfying. A tease, a taunt. Something that could easily drive him crazy. Tohma loved the thought of what would happen.

After such a long break from extensive use, Taki couldn't help but groan as the stretched muscle ached and throbbed. It wasn't supposed to feel good, he knew that, but he'd always liked things a little too rough.

This wasn't the first time it had gotten him into trouble.

No matter how good this felt to him, though, it wasn't enough. It wasn't deep enough, or hard. This was just enough to give him a taste, a preview, and it was making him itch, want to push Tohma down to get what he wanted.

There was too much pride in him to beg, and he was too stubborn to ask. Instead, his hips shifted, and he let out a moan of Tohma's name that was almost pleading.

That was it! A triumphant feeling rose in him as he heard his name moaned so perfectly on key. Taki still had his voice, and it would be getting him a lot more. He removed his tongue, and opened a drawer, fumbling through it.

He pulled out a tube of a clear, thick liquid and popped it open with his free hand. He sat back on his heels, leaving Taki without any touch from him. A complete stop from everything.

The blond squeezed out some of the lube onto his right hand and held the tube between his teeth as he smoothed it over three of his fingers. His let the tube drop to the ground and raised himself back up on his knees. It was certainly a gorgeous view, but he'd missed all the faces Taki had made previous. He got up to his feet and was able to look over all of the other man at his pleasure.

While doing this, without warning, he pressed a slick finger into Taki.

_Author's Notes: I love this pairing a lot. Not as much as Tohma and Suguru, but a lot. Or Taki and Suguru. Those are some good pairings right there. I wish I could go into some detail about this chapter, but I can't. There's a lot of mindfucking going on, along with fucking in general. It was just coming to that point in time when they had to. There's not much more than that. But where will it go from here? O the Drama! O the Suspense!_

_Drop us a line!_

_SL_


	28. Chapter 28

_Disclaimer: Opium is ours!_

_Author's Notes: A few things got rushed around here because… well, we don't know why honestly. We're working out the bugs and I think it should turn out fine. But I don't know. So I'm leaving it up to you guys to decide for yourselves._

_Enjoy!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Twenty-Eight_

Kenji couldn't breathe through the kiss, which had become hot and fast. He was on his back again, pants pushed as far down as they could be with his shoes still on. Haido was leaned over him, their hands forced to stop because their hips were pressed together.

But there was the more pressing matter of air. Kenji broke the kiss with a gasp, hooking one foot behind the other to push off his shoes. One hit the ground with a heavy thunk, and the other landed on top of it, only to roll and thunk again.

"Haido..." He swallowed hard, looking up at the man he couldn't quite call a friend, but wasn't sure how to classify otherwise. The floor was cold underneath him, but he'd stopped noticing somewhere during the kiss, and it didn't seem so important anymore.

Breathing was certainly the most pressing matter.

Haido was panting lightly as he removed the rest of Kenji's pants after he had removed his boots. He was naked now, completely on the studio floor, Haido hovering over him. His own pants were still opened and he knew this sight was enough to put him over, but he had to resist.

He knew that while they both wanted the release, he wanted to make this good for Kenji. He needed to make it good. He didn't want his first time to be a scar in his mind forever. Though... a studio wasn't exactly ideal.

Haido moved, parting Kenji's legs and settling between them. He looked at Kenji and smiled slightly before scooting down and lowering himself to be face to face with the other man's erection. He encircled the base of it with his hand and placed a small kiss to the tip before taking it into his mouth.

Having barely realized what was going to happen before Haido had taken him into his mouth, Kenji was not prepared. The moan hurt as it pushed past his lips. He couldn't bring himself to care, though, lost in the wet heat of Haido's mouth wrapped around his tip.

There was no way any bit of skin could feel that much. Kenji felt as if his entire body was on fire, skin too warm, almost feverish. He couldn't get enough air into his lungs. He was free falling into black heat, but he couldn't possibly be.

The floor was solid underneath him, he could still see Haido, still feel everything... But there was so much to feel, he didn't know what to do. His fingers searched for something to grip on the floor, a seam to dig his nails into.

It was loud, that moan, and Haido felt his heart race at the sound of it. Good, at least he was enjoying himself. That was what he wanted to make sure of most. That Kenji got a little taste of everything and enjoyed it.

Haido watched his hands scramble and rest his bandaged one on his bare stomach, petting softly. He hollowed his cheeks and swallowed to increase the pressure before bobbing his head up and down, moving his tongue around the erection as he moved his curled hand in time to the bobbing, hitting his lips.

After this would come the hardest part.

Breathing heavily, Kenji's chest rose and fell with each gasp. He couldn't get enough air to make any noises, everything lost after the first moan, but he tried to make it clear how much he loved the feeling. Every agonizing second, he loved.

Finally, he gasped in enough breath to let out a long, low moan of Haido's name, fingers finding the shirt he'd abandoned some time ago and gripping tight.

This was going to drive him mad. There seemed to be no end, nothing to keep him from spiraling down into that black abyss that was going to eat him whole. But, it would be such a good way to go, filled with such mindless pleasure that he couldn't even begin to form a structured thought.

He slowed the pace until he came to a complete stop, removing the erection from his mouth. Haido smiled up at Kenji. It was a sly little smile, because of the noises he was sure to get from stopping. He didn't have that much time to relish in it, seeing as he needed to use this moment to try and coax Kenji all the way.

Haido sat back on his legs and paused for a moment before getting up. He went and dug around through his things and came back, retaking his position from before. He held up a little black foil package.

"This is... for my burn, but we do have limited options," Haido said awkwardly. "Ke..." he swallowed briefly. "Kenji, it's completely up to you."

A pained noise left Kenji's throat as Haido pulled back, and he had to blink twice before he could see Haido through the cloud that had been blocking out most of his vision. Haido was well away from his body, but coming back with a packet.

His heart skipped a beat, and his breath caught.

Wetting his lips in an unconscious movement, Kenji pushed himself up onto his elbows with movements that didn't feel like they were attached to his body. "I'll by you a new packet..." He promised, giving his head a little nod to make his acceptance clear.

He wanted this. He knew what it could mean, but he still wanted it. He wanted to know what it felt like, with Haido. He wanted to know.

Haido shook his head. "Don't worry about it."

What a thing to think about at a time like this. Buying him a new packet. He snorted quietly shaking his head as he carefully tore the packet. Was he still nervous? As much as he could be, but he couldn't keep showing it the whole time, could he?

A little flicker of black foil fluttered to the ground near them, and with his right, bandaged hand, he carefully squeezed out some onto his fingers. He gently set the package down on the floor and awkwardly worked the thick, cool gel over this first three fingers. He wasn't all that big, but no reason for it to be uncomfortable for Kenji.

"I need to you take a deep breath and relax as best you can," Haido said softly, shifting as he moved his hand into place. "I'm going to do this one finger at a time, alright?"

He waited for the go ahead, and then slowly started pushing in one finger.

Haido's voice had always been soft, Kenji knew that, but he'd never really noticed how soft it could be until Haido was telling him to relax. Lowering himself back down on the floor, Kenji let out a deep breath. It didn't stop him from gasping and rejecting the intrusion as Haido's finger pushed into him.

It wasn't that it hurt, or felt bad, it was just strange. Very strange. He had never, ever felt anything like this, and he'd never thought he really would.

A low, helpless noise left his throat, because he wasn't sure what to do. Kenji squeezed his eyes shut tight, taking a slow, shuddering breath. It wasn't bad, he reminded himself. It was only Haido. Haido wouldn't hurt him, or do anything he didn't want him to do.

It was just strange.

He watched Kenji's face very carefully as he pushed the finger in until it could go no further. His bandaged hand rested on the other man's stomach, just rubbing methodically, a comforting motion. But for who? He was nervous too. Nervous as hell.

Haido crooked his finger, wriggling it a bit, trying to loosen up the tight muscle as best he could, whispering soft words the whole way through.

"Ok, Kenji" it still felt weird to use his name "This really won't mean much, but just keep trying to relax for me... I have use another finger, ok?"

Haido worked his bottom lip between his teeth as he squeezed in another finger, looking at Kenji's face a little worried.

Reaching down with one hand, Kenji took Haido by the wrist, because he could still feel the bandage catching on his skin. His fingers were loose, and he nodded as Haido spoke.

His hand tightened as the second finger was added, and he bit the inside of his cheek hard. Trying to take deep breaths, his breathing only grew more irregular, body trying to reject the fingers pushed inside of him.

It hurt. It hurt so much more then the first finger had. He'd thought, after years of friendship with Keiko, there wasn't anything that could make him hurt like this. But, here he was, eyes squeezed shut tight to hide the wetness he was determined to ignore.

This why it was such a big step. Bigger than with a woman, Haido thought. There was so much pain to go through, and to add to it, it was Kenji's first time. Haido didn't complain when his wrist was taken, or at the pressure added to it. Kenji had every right.

"You can stop if you want," he said softly. "It's completely fine with me. Don't push yourself."

No one should be forced into something. It wasn't right, and it didn't make anything end well in the long run. He couldn't do that to someone. And seeing Kenji's face made him want to stop anyway. It looked like he was getting upset.

His hand released when his eyes opened, and Kenji shook his head. "No..." He swallowed, trying to keep his voice from shaking. "Don't worry about it..."

It was hard to dissuade him from a decision once he'd made up his mind. And he'd decided, as soon as he let Haido continue, that he would do this. It was a curiosity thing, but it was more then that. He just couldn't say what it was. He wasn't sure.

Haido wasn't looking convinced, though, and Kenji suppressed a swell of unwarranted panic. They were already so far in... "Please, Haido..."

"Shh," he said with a small smile, awkwardly leaning foward to give him a little kiss. "It's fine if it's what you want, Kenji."

Haido couldn't dissuade Kenji even if he wanted to, but it was still shocking to see such a metamorphosis of one person. If he wasn't mistaken, the other man's eyes looked wet, and it made something inside him pain to see it. It was his fault.

"I'm going to start stretching now, ok? This is going to hurt, but it'll go quicker if you don't tense up," he coxed, spreading the two fingers slowly. The muscle certainly didn't want to give either way, but it had to be done.

Haido wouldn't be able to live with himself if he didn't do it right.

_Author's Notes: I'm going to bed early tonight, so I figured I'd throw this one up now before I head in. Anyways, this chapter was awkward since we didn't know where we were going or what we were doing. I'll get Kel's take on it when I can, but she's busy with school so it may take awhile. _

_Haido doesn't seem like he fully knows what he's doing. At least to me, and I wrote him! Or maybe he's just honestly worried. I'm not sure. Virginity is a strange thing. As a female, I can agree with this. I think anyone who wants to wait for marriage is someone to admire slightly. It's a hard thing to do. But it has a lot of redeeming qualities. I have a friend who says she wants to wait until it's with someone she really cares about. And even though I'm not a virgin and she is, I told her she might look into trying to wait until marriage._

_I don't regret what I did, but really, I do feel a little bad. It is something a bit special, isn't it? Well, I feel it is, and I lost that so if I got married one day, I wouldn't be able to have the kind of moment with the person I chose to be with for the rest of my life. Or until we divorced. But I think it's hard to have relationships without knowing things you want since sexuality is such a diverse and slowly accepting thing in society. I'm a realist and a romantic. It's a strange mix. ._

_What I don't know, is how it is for guys. Specifically for this story, homosexuals. I never thought to ask. So, I can't honestly give an answer on those thoughts. Either way, a first time is a big deal. If it had been a different place, I would've made a condom a part of this scene. I think if you're going to do it, be safe about it. But, everyone knows by now that keeping a condom in your wallet is a bad idea. _

_But, I hope you enjoy the things about to happen, and that you can stop for a moment and send us a review on your thoughts. Be it the story, or anything I've ever written in the A/Ns. It would actually be neat if anyone had any thoughts on this topic in particular. Anyways! _

_See you next chapter! _

_SL_


	29. Chapter 29

_Disclaimer: Blah._

_Author's Notes: I hit a parked car today. Clipped the back end of it while pulling out. I feel bad for damaging my mom's car, even though it's just paint and scratches. The other car got a dent and scratched and paint. I left my info, because it was very cold and the car was there when I went in and still there when I left. I assumed that the person was an employee in the store and they weren't done working._

_It's about four or five hours later and I still haven't gotten a call. Maybe they're pulling a late shift, or some overtime. Still, you'd think that they'd go on a break or something eventually and possibly notice it. My dad suggested that maybe they don't have insurance. Either way, it's getting late and I need sleep. I decided to throw this up and tell this funny story for you all!_

_Enjoy!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Twenty-Nine_

Taki was well aware of what he liked and what he didn't. So maybe he liked a little bit of pain, but he never thought it would be this much. Tohma only had two fingers in him, but they were stretching at a ruthless pace, and Taki was doing nothing to stop them, even groaning and shifting to urge them on.

There could be any number of reasons for why he was enjoying it so thoroughly, but he couldn't summon the presence of mind to worry about it. For now, there was only Tohma, and Tohma had become the whole world.

Tohma always preferred a nice view of his lovers. He loved watching their faces, their bodies. Watching them move and twitch, listening to them moan and beg. It wasn't egotism that made him do it, he couldn't care less if it was him making these things happen, it was just what he liked.

He knew he was hurting Taki. It may not have been a large pain, but this had to hurt. His fingers were scissoring sharply as they moved in and out of the willing body at a fairly fast pace. But Taki seemed to be loving it, riding his hand after such a long time without sex like someone well trained in this... profession.

One more finger slipped in, a beat barely being missed. The blond was still smiling his ever present smile, though it had a touch of sadistic pleasure highlighted in it. Oh, but Taki didn't seem to mind the tight fit of three fingers in him. Or the way they reached up as the spread, trying to find that little spot inside every man that made them realize time and again, why they were gay.

Three fingers made him gasp, but they were shifting, searching, and Taki was lost as they found what they were looking for. His body tightened, muscles locked as his back arched and he cried out. That was why he loved long fingers, he remembered as he panted. It always had something to do with the grace in the way they moved, but that...

That really sealed it.

There was no room for self consciousness here, though. All that mattered was the completion he was being teased with, the need that rose and rose and would eventually push them both over the edge. That was all they could do, now, but if Taki had been thinking, really thinking, he would have wondered.

How was this going to effect everything? The way he and Tohma worked together, reacted to each other. Would they pull apart and be totally disgusted, or would something else happen?

There was no doubt in his mind, though, because the only thoughts he had were of Tohma, and finishing what they'd started. They couldn't possibly carry on like this for much longer.

Well, they could, but Tohma wouldn't get as much satisfaction from it. As fun as this was, it really wasn't doing him any good. His finger popped out with a wet sound and he bent down to reach the lube he left on the floor. Taking it up, the blond let his pants rest lower on his hips and coated himself carefully.

He placed his hands underneath Taki's knees and lifted his legs, bringing them to rest on his thin shoulders. Once settled, he used one hand to guide himself into the other man. It was still a bit of a struggle, but it was nothing that couldn't've been accomplished with a bit of force.

And as far as Tohma could surmise, Taki certainly wasn't against 'a bit of force'.

There had never been a moment in Taki's life where he would have considered this sort of scenario. He'd never considered it with Tohma, and certainly never the cause. But it was happening, and he was more then happy to enjoy it for what it was.

A bit of force was all it took from both of them. Taki bit his lip hard as Tohma began to push into him, trying to muffle the sounds that threatened to pour out of him. His hips shifted as he forced the muscles to relax, far too eager to get Tohma inside of him and reach the completion he'd been taunted with for far too long.

Then Tohma was in, hips pressed tight against his. Taki had to let go of his lip for fear of biting through it, letting out a groan that said he was more than happy with their new arrangement.

It shouldn't have been this good.

Tohma felt himself sink in deep and his hips rest against Taki's backside. His body tensed up and his breath left him in a shuddering gasp. He could barely control himself. Taki was tight and hot around him and Tohma could barely think straight. He felt disoriented and lightheaded.

But he couldn't stay that way for long. His body wouldn't allow it. Slowly his hips pulled back until he was almost out before snapping his hips and pushing himself right back in, grunting softly. He started to lean forward, pushing Taki's legs against his chest and their noses were almost touching.

Though it would've seemed like an intimate position, to Tohma, it was just another way to pleasantly fuck someone he had tried to kill years back. Interesting how things changed. Though, all of that was far from his mind as his hips continued the pace they started, which was slow. Tohma could last with it, but again, it was another way to torture Taki.

_Author's Notes: Words of wisdom from Kel in the next chapter! Are we excited? I am! Anyways, so… yep. Tohma and Taki. Who woulda thought? Like I said, I love this pairing. When I play a top in a story (which is surprisingly often, even though me being in charge is not my thing irl) I try to recall things that my guy friends have said. _

_This town is small and we get bored easily. Things always lead to drinking, drugs (if you're into that), sex or talking about sex. Ooo, or food. So, I've seen more than my fair share of my friends without clothes and we talk about things that are actually quite interesting. A lot of the feeling though, about the body not being able to stay still and whatnot, that's how I see it, really. But, trust me when I say I do try and get some research in on this. I try to figure out how it works on a base level for guys._

_And that was another ramble from me! ._

_Drop us a line, and Kel will be joining us in the A/Ns tomorrow! YAY!_

_SL_


	30. Chapter 30

_Disclaimer: Blah blah blah._

_Author's Notes: I'm sorry about lack of update. Kel's been very busy with school (or so she says), so I didn't get her A/Ns. I apologize. She's usually very prompt, but I guess she's pretty swamped right now._

_Ah, also on the lack of update, I seem to be swarming in debt. It just keeps going. I hit a car (no one was hurt, no serious damage), but the damage to my car is about 560, and I don't know about the other guy yet. But I dented his, so it's going to be phenomenal. On top of that, I lost a lens to my glasses, so that's a little more than 400 right there. I did find my old pair though, so that can actually wait for a bit._

_Anyways, apologies all around! We're skipping Kel's notes, but when she gets to them, I'll add them in._

_Anon: Oh, we didn't give Taki a micropenis. Don't think that. That's just inhumane. We're just putting him at a level where… it's cute. . It's not so small. Not 2 inches. I don't know if that's even possible for an adult male. We're giving him about 5, maybe 4 and something. Not sure. We don't actually give measurements in out story, because it's… kind of an unnecessary, y'know? I've seen people do that, but it's not our thing. I'm glad you like the story though!_

_Zookeeper: I'm so glad you love the pairing. We do, too!_

_Silverone: As always, a pleasure to hear from you in our reviews. I'm glad we keep you on your toes, and you keep coming back to see what's new. _

_Thanks to any other new reviewers I may have missed!_

_Enjoy._

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Thirty_

Kenji let out a long, slow breath as Haido's fingers slipped out. He'd tried hard to keep the wetness from his eyes. Still, the tears came, and made cool tracks from the corners of his eyes. He couldn't help it. He'd tried, but the stretching hurt more then he'd ever imagined.

Sure, he hadn't spent much time imagining, but...

Haido was being impossibly good. Kenji knew that this was uncomfortable for him. That was why he'd tried so hard to keep the tears at bay, but Haido hadn't stopped, not even when a sob caught in Kenji's throat and made him choke, but Haido just kept talking to him in that soft, soothing voice.

It was that voice that made him go through. As long as he was listening to that, he wasn't putting all of his concentration to the pain that had laced through his body.

Haido held back a sigh as he saw the tears slip down Kenji's face. He didn't want to see Kenji cry over this, which mean the pain must've been bad. He had wanted to stop time and time again, but he knew the other man wouldn't allow it. He wasn't sure which would hurt Kenji more: Stopping, or continuing.

"Kenji, I'm sorry," he said, frowning. "I promise it'll get better."

There wasn't much else he could do but keep talking and promising. He wondered why Kenji was so intent on going to far. He didn't have to, and this was a big deal. Haido didn't know why he wanted it to go this far.

He worried his lip between his teeth as he took up the black foil packet again, awkwardly squeezing it out on his left hand and carefully applying it to his arousal, unable to hold back the pleasure he took in his own hand. But he stopped when he had to, not wanting to leave Kenji waiting anymore than he had to.

Haido moved between Kenji's spread legs, positioning himself.

"I promise it'll be okay," he said softly. "I promise, just relax, alright? Relax..."

He kept saying the same things over and over as he pushed in, still not sure whether to go fast and get it over with, or ease in gently.

He'd promised, so it would. Kenji tried to take comfort in that. Haido wouldn't be doing this if it would hurt, so of course, it had to get better then this.

But that didn't stop the tear flow from increasing, the already stretched muscles not entirely comfortable as something thicker and much longer then Haido's thin fingers pushed inside. He tried to get himself to relax, taking deep breaths only to get them caught in his throat.

This wasn't relaxing, and it didn't feel good. No, but it would! It had to. Haido promised...

His hair was sticking to his forehead, red strands damp with sweat. His eyes were squeezed shut, brow furrowed, breathing ragged. He knew that when he woke up the next morning, his throat would be sore. It was always sore after he cried, but Haido had been making him do a lot more then just that.

He hastily wiped the goo from his hand on the leg of his pants, leaving a shiny smear across them. He couldn't stand it, and Kenji shouldn't've been crying at all. Haido pushed until his hips pressed up against Kenji's backside. He did his best not to move until after that, only leaning forward carefully to wipe away the tears from under the other man's eyes.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, voice tight. The pressure wrapped around him seemed intense. "I'm sorry, Kenji, I'm sorry..."

Haido didn't want this to be so bad for Kenji. He had hoped it would've gone so much better than all these tears, but he guessed it couldn't be helped. Not now at least. But he was going to hate himself to this tomorrow. Especially since he didn't know what would come tomorrow.

Would they still be here at all? Not in the physical sense, but... oh it was too hard to think about things like that right now. And Haido was afraid of being too emotional over nothing.

"No..." Kenji swallowed hard over the lump in his throat, trying once again to take deep breaths to make himself relax. His breathing wasn't evening out, but the tears at least had stopped.

He brought a hand up to hold onto the back of Haido's neck, pushing himself up enough to press a kiss to the corner of his mouth. "Don't be sorry... I love you." The last words were soft, so quiet Kenji doubted himself for a moment.

Had he really said it, or was had he imagined it? If he'd said it, it certainly didn't feel like a lie, and he had no reason to doubt, but if he hadn't, this was going to take some serious thought later.

He didn't want to rush anything. Not when the pain in his body was just now receding to a dull throb.

Haido didn't know what to say. He was almost sure he had heard Kenji say 'I love you'. He was staring down at the other man, lips parted and eyes wide. How could he ever... did he mean... what was he thinking?!

They were right in the middle of sex, the first time for Kenji, the first time being with Kenji for Haido, and he came out and said that? Based on what?! He was starting to breathe heavily now, a mixture of rushing thoughts and the position he was in.

"Kenji," he panted, trying to keep still. "Don't say it. Don't say that..."

Haido was almost begging, a thin sheen of sweat covering his forehead. No, he couldn't deal with this, not now.

He had said it. The realization hit Kenji hard, and Haido's reaction made him nod weakly. His brow furrowed, and he bit his lip, lowering himself down. No, he wouldn't be saying it again. Not for a long, long time, if ever.

A shift in expression and all signs of his inner turmoil were gone. Kenji glanced up at Haido before purposefully shifting his hips, rocking them back, then up into the other man.

The movement hurt, made his stomach ache and his skin feel like it was going to tear, but it wasn't the overwhelming pain it was before. He could handle this, and he would, because more then anything, he desperately needed the distraction now.

Haido couldn't lie to anyone, let alone the person he was suddenly having sex with. He didn't want to just say it back. He didn't want thing to lead to places they may not belong. But finally he realized by denying Kenji's words so bluntly, he may have damaged more than possibilities of any kind.

Be he couldn't do a thing to fix it. Kenji moved against him and his arms trembled from holding his weight (mostly his left since his right was still in a good amount of pain) and he moaned, eyes shutting on their own. Thought was obliterated and he couldn't keep control of his own body anymore, starting to work his hips at an easy pace. The most he could do was keep from pounding into Kenji like he was nothing.

Forcing his eyes open, he tried to say something, anything, that he though would make things be alright. He had a feeling that nothing was going to be soon.

_Author's Notes: Fairly short, I know. We're doing cuts for this. I really wish there was some way to make it all one chapter, but there's really no clean way to do it. Besides, installment sex is always fun! Here's where Kel's notes should be, but she busy. I'm sorry about that. I'll edit them in if she ever gets around to it. _

_Drop us a line!_

_SL_


	31. Chapter 31

_Disclaimer: Blaaaaaaaah!_

_Author's Notes: Kel and I have been passing each other online, so still nothing on the A/N front. Not much to say on this chapter. But I'm sure Silverone will love it. All the unsaid drama. ._

_Enjoy!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Thirty-One_

It took everything Taki had to keep himself from crying out at every thrust. As it was, he was making sharp sounds so loud that they could almost pass for cries, but he was determined not to label them as such.

Tohma was snapping his hips into him with every push, and if Taki hadn't been holding onto the desk, he would have been pushed off of it by now. The brutal pace hurt, but it only made his moans louder, more frequent. Every breath he took was lost in another sound, his hips meeting Tohma's with more force every time their skin touched.

They were so close together. This would have been a moment of utmost intimacy if they hadn't been who they were, doing what they were doing for release only. Taki kept his eyes open only to watch Tohma's, the way the green seemed to shift into something completely alive every time they moved.

Finally, he moved his hands. One let go of the desk, pressing against Tohma's back, which was hot and damp with sweat. It was impossible that they could be doing this, that it could be this good, and that he hadn't broken yet. But there they were, and Taki was sure he would feel broken tomorrow.

Tohma had always loved the flexibility this position called for. Well, not so much that, than the endurance it took. When he was being topped (a rare thing, but it did happen), he liked it this way. He loved feeling his muscles stretch and burn, being filled up deep, how tight and compacted it was with the other person only inches from your face.

The blond groaned, thrusting pausing for just a moment so he would grip Taki's shoulders tightly. Holding the other man, he was able to pick up the pace to an almost brutal force as he thrust, keeping his eyes locked with Taki's.

The air was thick and hard to breathe, but it wasn't important. Neither was the aching frustration settling in his joints as he thrust. Nothing seemed to matter but finding that simple completion within Taki.

How long had it been since they'd blinked, looked away from each other? Taki couldn't remember, but he didn't want to as the pace shifted into something that would certainly leave him bruised in the morning. He didn't care, crying out as Tohma slammed into him again and again, the aching erection pinned between them only growing worse as they carried on.

It hurt, more then Taki could begin to describe. His senses were on overload, the air felt too thick to breath. It was like trying to breathe in fire. Painful and burning as it went down his abused throat.

It had been so, so long, and Tohma was exceeding his expectations. Every gay man had to like a bit of pain, but Taki was an exception when it came to how much he would willingly take.

The blond's breathing became erratic as he slowly felt his control slip away inch by inch. His hips tried to stay steady, but he couldn't control their movement anymore than he could control the sun. One hand left a shoulder, awkwardly reaching between their bodies to stroke Taki towards his release, as Tohma was on the way to his own. The other slipped behind his neck, pulling their faces together in a deep, frantic kiss that only broke when his body froze and Tohma moaned loudly, the one hand gripping Taki's hair tightly.

Every muscle tightened and locked as wave after wave of pleasure ran through him in a resonating vibration of absolute pleasure he'd missed for sometime now. When it started dying down, he moved his hips again, making sure to milk it out to the very last.

Between the kiss and the hand, Taki didn't know what to do. He was shaking with effort now, trying to keep himself back even though it hurt, a deep, aching pressure in his stomach. Then the kiss was broken, and Tohma was at his end.

Taki couldn't get enough breath to make any noise, and could only watch as Tohma's body spasmed. It didn't take much, just that extra shift, and Taki's back arched as much as it could with so much pressure holding him back. His eyes shut at long last, his lips parted in a silent cry, and he hit his release hard.

It felt as if it lasted forever, and when he came down from the high, he opened his eyes to meet green again. He was breathing heavily, each breath burning in his chest. He didn't want to move, and didn't want Tohma to move. Moving meant breaking the moment that seemed so soft, warm and sated, and content. He didn't want that to go away.

Taki spasmed and contracted around him, making Tohma gasp. He kept his eyes open, watching the other man under him come. It was a beautiful sight in his eyes. The lips open in silent pleasure, though unheard, Tohma could hear Taki's cry very well.

The mess left between their bodies was warm and rapidly cooling, and Tohma (germophobe extraordinaire) didn't seem to mind. He didn't want to move. He was tired and happy and satiated. Everything in his body said 'move and die'. Tohma was never one to argue.

He sighed quietly, more to himself than anything else, and looked at Taki with a sudden clarity. Yes, before he had been a lover in a heat of the moment, but what was he now besides a business associate? As he thought, he rocked his hips gently, releasing Taki's now softening member, wrist aching slightly from the position. Once Tohma slipped out easily from the other man's body, he stood up straight, untangling himself from Taki's body as if it had been an everyday ritual.

Taki groaned softly as Tohma released him, a sharp contrast in comparison to the loud sounds that had been leaving him before. He ached already, a dull throb in the back of his mind that he ignored as he unfolded himself and put both feet on the ground.

Unsteady. Was the ground moving? No... he held onto the desk as his feet took his weight, a precaution if nothing else. His shirt fluttered to the floor, and Taki looked at it with eyes he couldn't get to narrow.

He was entirely too worn out to care. His skin was just returning to a normal temperature, down from its fevered state. He was sure he wasn't thinking clearly, because he didn't seem to be having serious thoughts about anything besides Tohma.

That had to be a sure sign for madness.

Tohma was digging through a desk drawer, pulling out tissues cleaning himself up. He wiped over his chest and dabbed at a small stain on his pants. Wiping his hands clean, he put himself back in order, buttoning up his shirt and tucking it in. Replacing his jacket and gloves he finally looked over at Taki.

"Well, feel free to clean up," the blonde said nodding over at the tissues he had use. Plenty more where those had come from. A neat freak usually had them on hand, no?

He cleared his throat and went over to his little bar to pour himself another drink. After that, Tohma went over to the monitors and looked in on Haido and Kenji. Mm, seemed as though they were getting along just fine.

"How long do you think we'll be in here?" he asked placidly, acting as though nothing like what had happened moments before had happened.

He could call out, but that thought just didn't seem to... be as exciting.

There was something about the question and the offer that just rubbed Taki the wrong way. He shrugged in answer, leaning over without moving his feet to pull out more tissues. Cleaning himself off in silence, he winced as he bent to pick up his pants.

Not even tomorrow yet and he already felt broken.

_Author's Notes: I love them. I love how they irritate the shit out of each other right away. Mmm. It's a good thing. It's awesome._

_Drop us a line!_

_SL_


	32. Chapter 32

_Disclaimer: Blah Blah Blah._

_Author's Notes: This is the infamous chapter Kel and I have complained about. I've done some very basic editing, because I didn't want to tamper with the original story, and Kel's character, too much. The next few chapters require editing for continuity because of this chapter, and I've only separated the entire story and edited 50 chapters so far. There's still more to go. I know, you should all shoot me for it._

_But, I would like to hope that this is a good enough story where everyone will read to the end no matter how long I've made it. And I'd like to say with full confidence that it is interesting with many twists to come. It was so much fun to write, I can't help but gush about it! And it was fun to write with Kel. She's a great writer and we have a lot of fun staying up late and getting some cracked out ideas._

_So, enjoy our insanity!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Thirty-Two_

Haido wasn't moving fast, but Kenji could feel the heat around them pick up again. He couldn't keep his eyes open to watch Haido's face, letting them fall shut as he tilted his head back. He wasn't sure he wanted to see anyway. There were just some things he didn't have to know.

His hips moved, awkwardly at first in response to the slow, almost too careful thrusts into him. Small noises escaped him as one thrust landed harder, another when Haido shifted his hips just right to brush over the spot that made his body tremble and convulse.

Haido let his head fall forward, looking between their bodies, watching himself exit and then disappear into Kenji's body. Again and again, the pace slowly picking up on its own. His breathing was heavy and he looked at Kenji whose eyes were closed.

Haido felt... odd. A little hurt maybe?

He didn't understand what was going on anymore. It was all just blurring together in a pleasant meld of sight, sound and feel. He couldn't make heads or tails of what he was actually thinking, though one strong thought remained. He wondered why Kenji had said what he did.

When Kenji had jerked beneath him, Haido felt his lips twitch in a smile. He hoped this was being good to Kenji through this. He wished the reassurance was a little more, but he tried making sure he could keep hitting the spot that had him trembling and hoped for the best.

As for himself? He couldn't control the tumult of pants and moans escaping from him.

Constant, unyielding pressure on that one point was more then Kenji could begin to stand. The ache in his stomach grew, spread and throbbed. He moaned, both at the pain of Haido's assault and the growing ache in his body.

"Hai..." Kenji swallowed hard, opening his eyes enough to see. "Haido..." He pushed his hips up to meet the thrusts, an instinctive reaction, as if he could pull Haido deeper into himself.

And that was what he wanted. It didn't feel like enough, he needed more. Harder, faster, he didn't care as long as there was _more_. The need grew faster then the ache, curling up as if it would choke and instead leaving him in a loud groan.

His breathing was too heavy, and he couldn't quite get the range of sounds he'd had before. That didn't stop him from trying, air becoming a novelty within seconds.

"Oh god, Kenji," Haido moaned, panting heavily as he continued to thrust into the man beneath him.

He couldn't help himself, thrusting harder into Kenji as he felt a deep pained warmth build up in him. He rested his bandaged hand on the floor near Kenji's shoulder to bear the weight of his body as his free hand moved between their bodies to stroke Kenji in time with the thrusting.

His right arm trembled from the burning pain of resting the weight on it, bandages digging into the tender skin covered up. But he couldn't do it any other way. His legs were shaking from the oncoming release and his knees felt bruised on the hard floors.

But he couldn't stop.

Kenji's name became a mantra mingled with a slew of unintelligible gibberish as his hips lost rhythm and his body froze up and he pushed himself in deep, releasing.

"Ooooh, shit, Kenji!" Haido cried out, his right arm finally giving out as he nearly collapsed atop the other man, breathing hard.

Haido's voice wasn't soft anymore, but Kenji hardly noticed as the thrusts into his body increased in force. The assault on his nerves made him moan, cry out as Haido's hand came down between them. He didn't think about the pressure on Haido's injured hand, or how much damage it could do.

There was only the mind numbing pleasure that racked through his body like a disease.

Rhythm fell away and there were only the erratic thrusts of their hips. Kenji felt like writhing, and surely he had to be, because he had never felt something so blissfully torturous as this.

The release was so much, so fast that it hurt, and Kenji came down on a buzzing high. He had been so caught up in the climax that he hadn't noticed Haido's extra weight, and he struggled to catch his breath. Kenji forced himself to take a breath, hiding his face in Haido's neck because he couldn't pull away.

The heat around them seemed to cling to their bodies, coming off in rolls from the heap they'd collapsed in. It was fairly annoying and Haido couldn't stand it any longer. It was suffocating. Using his left hand now (his right didn't want to work for him anymore), he lifted himself off of Kenji, easing his now rapidly softening arousal from the other body.

Sighing heavily, he collapsed between Kenji's legs, panting. It was so hot in here now. And another thought came to mind:

How were they going to clean up?

On top of that, another thought, more... dangerous maybe? He'd said it, hadn't he? Kenji had actually said those words and Haido had denied him.

"Shit," he groaned quietly, cradling his right arm. This was all going to be a mess.

_Author's Notes: I'm running on five hours of sleep, and it's not enough, but I think I'm pulling another all nighter, with another nap in the afternoon. I've finished the editing for all the other chapters I've made. So from this one to 50. I've starting making the other chapters. I'm hoping to finish breaking up the story tonight. On top of that, my one friend really wants me to work on 'I Love to Hate You', a Potter fic. So, I'm back and forth between that. I'm hoping once these are done, I can work on the sequel to this and Teach Me. Maybe Noriko's Story again, too._

_Anyways, let's explain this chapter and why Kel and I hated it. When we were writing this, we didn't have plans to post it up yet. So we were doing whatever we wanted. Once we realized it was going out into public, we needed some changes._

_In this chapter, just as Haido was climaxing, he told Kenji he loved him, and that's where things got all fucked up. We realized that wasn't exactly kosher to the story when we started posting it. We like to make good stories, and that would've brought the whole thing down. So, to make the story better for you, our readers, we've done a lot of… wait. We? I'm sorry, I've done a lot of revamping. Apologies to Kel, but I did the editing for this chapter and the continuity for the other chapters that this one affected._

_So, this is all my sleepless nights and tired eyes hard work. The story will be a little more… realistic, I guess, now that I've fixed that._

_So, tell us what you think!_

_SL_


	33. Chapter 33

_Disclaimer: Bleh._

_Author's Notes: Yay! More chapters! Welp, I'm sleeping tonight, because I need it. I passed out for about seven hours today. And, unfortunately, I did not finish breaking the story up into chapters. I still have a lot more to go. There's a very, very short cut we did in the story that wouldn't even make two pages. So I've got to figure that out before I can move on._

_Anyways, enjoy!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Thirty-Three_

Taki was dressed again, but his body was still aching from Tohma's abuse. But it had been such good abuse, and despite himself, he wanted more of it. In the course of five minutes, though, it had become a secret want.

Tohma was treating him like nothing had happened. It was really beginning to piss him off.

It wasn't the first time, he knew that. When he'd started with NG again, Tohma was treating him like nothing had happened years before. But this was different! It had to be different. The first time it had been something they'd had to keep quiet, and he knew that this had the same potential, but they were still alone! They were locked inside a room with each other, and Tohma had snapped back into being a boss before he was even finished getting dressed.

It was making Taki sick.

"Scotch, Taki?" Tohma offered, looking over his shoulder at the other man. He was going back to refresh his drink as well.

What else was he to do but act nonchalant? They had both gotten aroused by two young men, they had both used each other to relieve themselves of the problem. There was nothing more, nothing less to it than that.

In Tohma's world, things had to be cut and dry, black and white. No grey matter. If there was, it lead to chaos and disorder in the world. That's why feelings shouldn't get in the way of things. They made the grey that ran the chaotic world outside of his.

They were insane.

He set his glass down and poured out more rum, then poured out scotch for Taki. He walked over to the other man and handed him the glass with a smile.

"I think those two have worked it out, don't you?" he asked amiably. Two nods. Yes, he wanted scotch. Yes, he thought they'd worked it out.

No, he wasn't going to say it.

Taki's arms were crossed protectively over his chest, an unconscious gesture that he didn't notice. His eyes were fixed on the screens in front of him, though he wasn't taking any of it in.

All of his thoughts, unfortunately enough, were on the man who was somewhere behind him. He didn't want to turn and look.

What was he now, something to be used and thrown away? He knew that it had been spur of the moment, that really, it had been sex for sex's sake, but there was something in him that wanted more then that. He hated that something. Hated it a lot, hated it more then he was supposed to hate Tohma, but even with all that hate, he couldn't make it go away.

"Would you like to sit down, Taki?" Tohma asked the stoic faced man.

He wasn't saying much, perhaps he'd been a little too rough. If his assumptions had been right about Taki not having any sex in a while, then of course, he must be hurting. It would be rude of him as a host not to offer any comforts he had available for his guest.

Though, surely the other man had to speak soon. For some reason, the silence was putting him on a bit of an edge. Odd. Should he apologize for being too rough, maybe? Or maybe Taki was always like this afterwards. Why was it any bother to him, anyway?

A shrug, to say he was fine. Taki glanced behind him, locating Tohma without any difficulty on his part. How could there be? There were only the two of them in the room.

Like he could possibly forget.

He wasn't thinking about how staying upright after something so absolutely carnal could effect his joints, or the pain that was a deep set throb through his entire body. He just didn't care, and that was it.

The only thing he found himself caring about was the way Tohma was treating him. He didn't like it, but he wouldn't make that a solid hate by putting it into words. He wouldn't do it. Taki would rather stay silent for the rest of his life then submit himself to something so completely embarrassing.

As if having sex on his boss's desk wasn't enough anyway.

"Taki, is there something wrong?" Tohma asked, authority tingeing his voice. It was starting to aggravate him, this silence. He was acting like a stubborn child refusing to speak to his parents. "I'd like it more if you spoke to me instead of shrugging and nodding. Please."

The blonde shouldn't have cared so much. But he did, and it only fueled the agitation. It wasn't as though he could take back what had happened if Taki regretted it. He certainly didn't. It had been one of the best encounters he'd had in a long while.

"If you won't speak causally, Aizawa-san, then let's talk business," Tohma said, smile still there, but eyes hard. "Now, about their relationship, if we can call it as much, what would you like to do about it? Would you rather keep it out of the public's eye, or let them flaunt it freely?"

Turning his head back toward the monitors, Taki shrugged again. From personal to business, without a break in between. It made him sigh. "It's up to them. They'll either flaunt it, or keep it quiet. It's easier to let them decide."

Because how would they explain how they knew of the relationship? As far as Kenji and Haido knew, they were alone in the room, with no one there to witness the things that had passed between them.

Taki was not about to admit that he had watched, had seen. If he couldn't tell Tohma what was 'wrong' ('wrong' didn't seem like a heavy enough word), he was certainly not going to admit to voyeurism.

"If that's how you'd like to have it then," Tohma said, sipping his drink. He walked over to his desk, taking out a few assorted cleaning items. The itch to clean his desk had started. It needed to be done.

He set his glass in an untouched corner of it and took up a bottle of wood cleaner and a soft towel. He sprayed once in a straight line across the bottom at the edge, let it sit for five seconds, and wiped it up in a small circles. He continued this all the way up the entire desk.

"Aizawa-san, where is Takashi-san?" he asked without looking up. He now had a spray bottle in hand. Another cleaner. He repeated his routine.

Business. He was so, so sick of business. Taki shrugged again, keeping in a wince of pain as he moved away from the desk. He didn't want to be close to Tohma's obsessive cleaning. He didn't want to watch the last remnants of them wiped away.

He didn't want to care about 'them.' Dammit, there was no them to care about!

Shoving his hands back into his pockets, Taki wandered away. Away from Tohma, and the desk, and the monitors that seemed to mock him with their separate images. This was disgusting. He was disgusting. How could he have let himself become this?

How could he have let himself become this because of Tohma? How could Tohma possibly effect him so much?

Tohma folded the used towel, placing it away and took up another one and placidly started wiping over the shining smudge free surface. He felt much better now. The desk was clean, order was again in place, and now all he needed was his answer.

"Aizawa-san," he said, folding the towel and putting it away. He put away the cleaning items. "Aizawa-san."

"Taki," he said sharply, frown marring his features. "Do not ignore me. I will not accept it."

Tohma thought that Taki had a lot of nerve to walk away and actually ignore him.

Taki couldn't keep the surprise off his face as he turned, facing Tohma again. Tohma was practically snapping at him. He hadn't heard that tone in years, and it was almost amazing.

Almost. If nothing else, it reminded him of what a bastard Tohma could be.

"Then say something that's worth listening to." He all but snarled, already put on edge by his own thoughts and Tohma's actions. The last thing he wanted was to be told to listen when there was nothing coming out of Tohma's mouth that he cared about.

All it was doing was pissing him off.

Tohma cocked a thin, blonde eyebrow at the dark haired man. The temper still had not left, and still it had a way of getting under his skin.

"Something worth listening to?" Tohma asked, almost surprised. "Well, how about this then: I am your boss. You answer to me, not the other way around. All these years pass Taki, and still, you've learned nothing. In my hands I hold your very existence while you are here. I own your job. I own your band. I own your life. _I. Own. You._"

He slipped his hands into his pockets and smiled pleasantly.

"Is that worth listening to, Aizawa-san?"

Already narrow eyes narrowed further, and Taki had to pull his hands out of his pockets for fear of ripping his pants. They were fisted at his sides, body tense and nuckles white.

"You don't own anything but a company." He ground out, gritting his teeth. "And I want none of it. You can keep the band, and find a new manager. I will not stay here and let you believe that you can run my life simply because you're my employer."

Alright, save for the ground out words and fists, Taki thought he was doing rather well. He hadn't shouted, hit anything, broken Tohma's face, or given away information that he didn't want to.

Yeah. He was kind of proud of himself.

Tohma chuckled, absolutely amused by Taki's words. This was certainly turning out more fun than he'd ever thought it would be. It was game to him. How to move the pawns where. Taki was the worst player he'd ever had.

"I own you, Taki," Tohma said again. "You are mine by contract. You can only leave if I wish you gone. You can say you quit, but I do not have to respect that wish at all."

He went over to the file cabinet and rummaged around. He tossed a thick pile of papers on the desk. From its recent cleaning, they slid a little ways, but did not fall.

"Read your contract. I own you."

Before signing, Taki had had every right to request changes in the contract. He no longer had the right to anything.

It was the chuckle that did it. That damned laugh. Taki knew he was going to yell before he opened his mouth, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. "Then change the fucking contract!"

He wasn't going to stay. He would leave and never come back if he had to, but he would not stay and let Tohma look down on him. He'd been used, he knew that. He'd used Tohma, but there was still that part of him that didn't want to admit it. Didn't want to believe that he could have been used.

It was that part of him that made him feel cheap. Bought and no longer wanted.

Tohma's declaration of ownership didn't help. Treating him like nothing but business didn't help. Taki knew he wasn't helping either, but he had no more control over his temper then he had control over Tohma's words.

"Fine," Tohma agreed simply and picked up the phone on his desk, dialing. "Yes. Have someone come up to my office right away, please. No, nothing like that, I just need someone to unlock the door." He laughed pleasantly. "Well, I'm not sure how to explain it. Yes? Oh, of course. Mm, no. No, not that. Alright then. Thank you. What? Oh, no, as soon as possible, please."

He replaced the phone gently and sat on the edge of his desk, taking up his drink again and smiling at Taki.

"You will be out of here shortly, I will revise the contract, we will meet again soon, Aizawa-san," he said pleasantly as the door unlocked and he took a sip of his drink. "Until then, have a wonderful day."

The revision would be amusing.

There was no time for debate, no time to think. Taki didn't even bow, just turned and crossed the room. He jerked open the door and stormed out, past the secretary who had used the spare set of keys to unlock the door.

He didn't care anymore. He was as good as gone, ignoring the pain that flared to an almost blinding height. He didn't care that he was limping, he didn't care that he'd walked past the studio. He would walk all the way back to his fucking apartment if he had to.

But no matter what, with or without his jacket, he was leaving this goddamn building.

_Author's Notes: Dun dun duuuuuuuun! What will happen next?! WHO KNOWS?! I know! And Kel knows! Next chapter is the reason we gave it the title 'Transaction'. It was just a lot of fun. Yay fun! _

_Drop us a line._

_SL_


	34. Chapter 34

_Disclaimer: Blah blah blah. Opium. Blah.:_

_Author's Notes: I haven't slept at all. I feel pretty good, and I've done a lot around the house today, and I'm praying a job I called on to check on my application with call back. Fingers crossed guys! I've been here a little over a month without hearing back on a single job. Anyways, on to the story. _

_This is the chapter that gave the story its name. We were going to have this right in the beginning, but we were going to have a lot of things. Like a one shot. And so many other things. So, it got thrown in now. Still, this was part of the original idea for the story. Yay!_

_Enjoy!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Thirty-Four_

"Well, Aizawa-san, as you can see, the contract has been revised to specifications I think you will enjoy," Tohma said, looking out the large window in the conference room. It didn't take long after Taki had left for him to realize something.

Everything had gone downhill after they had had sex. The logical reasoning in him said it was just because Taki may have felt used. Another side of him said that perhaps... perhaps it was what Taki had wanted. But maybe under some different terms.

"Please, feel free to look it over. You may take it to a lawyer before signing, though, again, I assure you, everything is in legal order," he said pleasantly.

In the contract, and this was loosely stated of course, it was said that Taki was his (basically) to do with whatever he wished. Though, it also said that Taki had the basic human standard of rights to him. Mostly, it was that Taki had to come whenever Tohma asked for him. Taki could refuse anything Tohma asked for that was non work related, but in return, Taki could ask for anything of Tohma. Tohma could not refuse if it was work related, though, as boss, he could refuse the decision if he thought it bad for business.

Basically, it made them equals under unequal standards.

"Does it suit you?"

Taki skimmed over the contract, then forced himself to read it more thoroughly. He nearly objected at several points, but he couldn't stop reading long enough to get the words out. It was like an entrancing book. He had to see.

There were points he had concerns about, like coming to Tohma whenever he was asked to. No doubt it would be a point in the contract that would be used often, if not abused. But, he knew well enough that this was a final draft.

He had very little say to any changes. And, after all, it didn't seem that bad. He could deny it if it wasn't work related, after all.

Nodding, he looked up. He was still angry, mostly at himself. He hadn't intended to come back, but he'd gotten the call the next morning, and he'd come to NG dressed for work. It made him hate himself more then Tohma.

"Do you have a pen?"

Tohma turned away from the window smiling as he pulled a pen from his inner jacket pocket, clicked it, and handed it to Taki. He stood, watching, very much pleased with himself at the whole deal.

"I think it'll be a pleasure working with you from now on, Aizawa-san," he said with a smile.

_Author's Notes: I know, the wording is kinda iffy. It was one of the crack nights. I'd go through and edit it, but I'm kinda worn out and I know if I get into it now, I'd look up a bunch of legal terms and contracts to word it perfectly. I strive to bring you guys a great story, but I need a break. I'm sorry. Maybe I'll go back and renovate it at a later time, but no promises._

_On the other hand, good news! I finished breaking the entire story up into chapters! I haven't started editing them yet. But, I can tell you for sure that the very last chapter, unless unforeseen merging of chapters happens, will be chapter 76! You heard me right. 76 chapters. Odd number, I know. It bothers me too. Well, it could be worse. But yay! The end is soon approaching! And then… THE SEQUEL!_

_Drop us a line!_

_SL_


	35. Chapter 35

_Disclaimer: Blah._

_Author's Notes: I'm stuck watching the little brother while everyone else went to Vegas tonight. I need to get him to school tomorrow and feed the dogs and whatnot in the morning. So it's another sleepless night for me. And I'm so tired. Forgive me for any slip ups that may come during this vacation. I don't know how much sleep, if any, I'll be getting. Running a house and balancing a social life is more work than you'd think._

_Doggy's, though! They make me happy. _

_Anyways, enjoy!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Thirty-Five _

"No. Fucking. Way," Keiko said, exhaling a plume of smoke as she searched around her room for a pair of jeans. "I don't care what happened between you and your little boyfriend, but I'm not getting involved."

She yanked a pair from under her bed and pulled them on angrily, smoking without using her hands. A talent indeed.

"Besides, what do I get out of this, anyway? Nothing but trouble."

"Please, Kei?" Kenji was seated cross legged on her bed, hair unkempt and hands in his lap. "I need your help. I can't do this with anyone else, and I... I can't."

He couldn't. Not after what Haido said, and then did. He couldn't let anyone know. He couldn't let Haido know what it meant, couldn't let Taki, or Seguchi know. He didn't want to know, but he couldn't think of any way to hide it but this.

"I'll take you to the next Hyde concert. Or Gackt. Or Miyavi. Whoever." Kenji bit his lip. "I'll get good tickets, and a backstage pass for you and everything. I just need your help."

She stopped, removing the cigarette from her lips as she looked him over critically. Bastard. He knew just how to get her attention for something she shouldn't do. Crushing it out in an ashtray, she zipped up the jeans and buttoned them, running a hand through her hair.

"Kenji, don't pull this shit. You didn't even tell me what happened and why you suddenly want this?" Keiko asked with a sigh. "Because, seriously, this will not end well."

There were shit loads of problems with this plan.

"Stop bribing me and tell me why you want to do this."

"I don't care how it's going to end, Kei. I just... I can't let him do this to me." Kenji frowned, looking up at Keiko. "When we were locked in that room... I..." Shit, how was he going to do this?

Biting his lip, he looked away from her. "I did something stupid, Kei." He couldn't bring himself to describe the details that 'something stupid' left out. "I told him..." A sigh. "I told him I loved him, and he told me not to, and... after that, it..."

Fuck! Kenji stared hard at the floor, as if urging it to speak for him. "We... you know, right? And when it was over, he never said anything. After that, I can't let him think its okay, but I don't want him to know how much it hurts."

Only with Keiko could he ever say something like this. She might laugh a little, but she'd help. She had to.

"I can't let anyone know. That's why I need this so much."

Keiko sighed, keeping her mouth shut for now. She dug around her room finding her cigarettes and lighting another one up. She hated this. She didn't know whether to hate Haido for doing this to Kenji, or to hate Kenji for being so stupid!

"Listen," she sighed. "I'm not sure what you're trying to prove here. Are you trying to pretend you're not gay, or that you don't love Haido?"

Wait, what was she saying?!

"No, either way no. I can't," Keiko said, taking a drag. "Kenji..."

She looked at him. This was her best friend. The one who would be there for him if she needed it. Damnit...

"Fine. Whatever. Just don't be surprised when reports come in about your 'girlfriend' cheating on you. I need a little every now and then too," she said gruffly, pulling on a jacket.

"Come on, darling. Before we're late to work," she teased in an overly sweet tone.

One of these days... Kenji was going to be the death of her.

_Author's Notes: Kel and I are happy to report that we're so happy that we're that much closer to the end of this. We love this story, don't get us wrong. But looking over it and looking over it and looking over it just starts to wear on you after a while. Besides, if she gets a blizzard tomorrow, more of a chance we can try and work on the sequel together. _

_I've got to tell you, the sequel is full of drama that's just oh-so tasty. You wouldn't be reading this is you didn't like a little bit of drama. I wish I could go into more detail, but I can't. Probably as we get closer to the end of Transaction I can let a few things slip. I hope you guys are enjoying this!_

_Send us, and the poor tired editor/writer, some love!_

_SL_


	36. Chapter 36

_Disclaimer: Blah._

_Author's Notes: This is, officially, the worst day of my life. I went running around today trying to find a job, got tapped from behind by an idiot. No damage to the car, thank god. All that crap just for an application. I fell asleep at a movie I really wanted to see because I've been staying awake to try and keep everything going here, and I came home to a chewed up pair of heels and clothing, courtesy of the dog. So, even if I did get an interview, I don't have any decent shoes to wear now. Lovely._

_So, this is pretty much the highlight of my day. Awesome, I know. _

_Enjoy._

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Thirty-Six _

The new contract had yet to disturb anything so far as product went, and Taki was soon back to work and forgetting about it. He forgot to worry about a call from Tohma at any moment, and he forgot to worry about issues of 'ownership.' It didn't seem important as things began to move.

They had photo shoots to do for the new CD, a press conference little over a week, songs to record, and Haido's hand was only now beginning to heal. Taki did, however, keep an eye out for hints of a relationship between Haido and Kenji, things that might have to be kept under control.

Much to his shock, hints went in the opposite direction. Kenji spent more and more of his time around Keiko, and once when they'd been leaving the building for lunch, Taki had noticed something a little peculiar on his way back to the studio. Kenji and Keiko were close, he knew that, but close enough to walk with their arms around each other, and no hint of a joke in the air?

Something was going on, but within moments, Taki was distracted by possible covers being shoved at him.

Tohma watched Taki mostly, though he did notice Haido being quiet and keeping to himself. Mostly, he looked as though he were deep in thought and not downcast as before, though the wounded look wasn't hid well if at all when he watched Keiko and Kenji walk out together arm in arm.

Keiko sighed as she sat down across from Kenji in a noodle place near by.

"Kenji, you can't hide forever," she told him, though he'd heard it for the last week straight. "Wouldn't it be best to talk to him about it? Fix it. Tell him how you feel maybe?"

He probably wouldn't, but it didn't stop her from trying.

Looking up from the menu in front of him, Kenji frowned. "I did tell him." He sounded like a pouting child, a sure sign that he believed he had had this conversation a few too many times, and was no longer inclined to go through it again. "And he told me not to say it, so I won't."

He didn't want to listen to himself be shot down again. He heard it quite enough, every time he thought back and tried to see why it had gone so wrong. Kenji wasn't entirely stupid, he knew it was his fault, and that he should have waited...

But Haido didn't have to shoot him down like that. He tried to distract himself, whether it was with Keiko, or work, he was beginning not to care. They had just gotten out of a photo shoot an hour before, the upcoming press conference was making Kenji nervous, and just barely a month away...

Their first concert. Even thinking about it made his stomach flip.

"No, Kenji," Keiko sighed, getting agitated. "I mean, tell him how you feel about what happened."

It wasn't that she didn't like having Kenji around. She loved Kenji dearly, but he just didn't seem to understand the concept of personal time. Or, basically, time when Keiko should kick his ass for being around. She just didn't have the heart to tell him to back off.

Now she was resorting to good old female advice. The mushy kind, too. Keiko was pulling out all the stops.

Setting down the menu, Kenji shook his head. "It doesn't work that way, Kei." And he sounded very sure here, because if it had worked that way, he would have already done it. But he had watched enough to know that it was a useless practice, and he wanted about to set himself up on a platter so Haido could throw him away.

He wouldn't do it.

Everything about his expression was stubborn, and Kenji glanced down at his menu again. "What do you want to get?"

Changing the subject, a fail safe way to stop talking about what he was determined to avoid.

The screams from the restaurant were easily ignored as Keiko had finally snapped on Kenji. The table flipped and her chair was thrown at his head. Food scattered, as did people, and she had Kenji knocked to the floor.

And then Keiko proceeded to try and knock some sense into Kenji.

"You can pay, _darling_," Keiko sneered at the mess that was now Kenji as she walked out. "Don't be late to practice."

Huh. The nerve of him! He was just making excuse after excuse for why he shouldn't go and have anything to do with Haido. Little brat. He needed to grow up.

Kenji groaned, rolling onto his side. He'd forgotten how much damage Keiko could really do. She'd only gotten one good hit to his face, and he knew he would have one hell of a black eye in a few hours. His stomach felt like ground beef, and he was sure he'd hit the back of his head on the ground.

Someone was offering him help up, but he pushed himself to his feet without it. His body throbbed in unison, and he put money on the table despite the fact that they hadn't ordered anything.

Payment to ignore the ruckus, he supposed.

He felt like limping as he dragged himself to the NG building. Right. Not late for work, but he had to get to the bathroom to see what she'd done to him.

Keiko stormed into the building and practically punched the buttons on the elevator. She was so pissed at Kenji! Maybe she had gone a bit overboard this time. After all, she did leave him there a bit roughed up.

No, she was not going back for him. When the door whispered open, she blew past Haido who dodged her and rushed to catch the elevator she vacated. He just stared at her retreating form until the doors blocked his vision. He went down to the lobby and made his way to the restroom.

Haido was a bit odd sometimes. He did prefer an unusual amount of privacy in a bathroom, and his options were limited in a public restroom. The lobby one was of the few places that didn't have a lot of traffic.

He opened the door and caught sight of someone leaning over a sink. Not really his business... until he caught sight of who it was in the mirror.

"Kenji?"

Well, it explained Keiko.

He'd been trying to investigate the damage to his eye when the door open, and Kenji jerked as he heard his name, poking himself hard in the eye. Squeezing it shut, he jumped back from the mirror, cursing loudly.

His visible eye narrowed and glared at Haido. This wasn't what he needed. It really wasn't. He didn't like getting beat up, not to this extreme, and he didn't want to see Haido. It was two negatives, and while two negatives were supposed to make a positive, Kenji hated math, too.

Three negatives didn't make a positive, and he dared anyone to fucking prove that they did.

"What?" He snapped, bruised eye aching at the press of his hand. It didn't feel deep, but it would be sore and purple for a few days. This wasn't the first time Keiko had given him a black eye, he was just glad she wasn't wearing her lethal rings. Those hurt more then this did.

Well, it really was Kenji, that much was proven. And he had seriously taken a good beating. Keiko must've been really angry this time. Haido frowned and moved forward, looking him over.

"She got you good this time," Haido said, reaching up to move his hand away from the bruised eye. "Ow," he hissed, looking it over.

He stepped away, turning on a faucet, cold. Taking some paper towels, he soaked them, wrung them out and folded them neatly. He went back to Kenji and leaned up on his tiptoes to press the make shift compress to Kenji's eye.

Batting away Haido's hands, Kenji stepped back and pressed the wet paper towels to his eye himself. "I don't need your help." He grumbled, glaring at Haido with the eye that wasn't trying to seal itself shut.

Conveniently the eye covered by red hair. He shook it from his face, the scowl that was revealed the very same one that made him look like a child, the set of his lips and the way he clenched his jaw. The hurt scowl, untrusting and cynical.

He didn't know how to treat Haido anymore, not when everything was fresh, and this... This wasn't helping him. His stomach still hurt from where Keiko had hit him, and his heart still hurt from where Haido had hit him, too, but they were too different kinds of hurt.

And a hurt Kenji was a volatile Kenji.

Haido let his hands fall to his sides and roll into fists as he held his breath and count to ten. It didn't work very well. He didn't understand why Kenji was acting this way. It didn't help that Kenji would never explain anything, just act how he felt he should.

Well, it wasn't exactly great that Haido was oblivious to what he'd done so completely wrong. He knew that he might've stepped a line or two, but not clear on what.

"You need someone's help," he growled. "Keiko isn't exactly doing well for you."

Alright, he was a little hurt at the tabloids too.

"At least I know what she'll do to me." Kenji pulled back the wet paper towels, squinting at them before pressing them back to his eye. "She's consistent, and that might leave me with a few bruises, but those at least go away."

All said with the intent that Haido was the opposite. And, to be fair, some of it was true. Kenji didn't know what Haido could do to him, and only minutes... minutes after...

No, Kenji would rather stick with the physical hurt then the emotional. He knew how to deal with the physical pain, he got it enough from Keiko. But now he had the opposite from Haido, physical care, but emotional tatters.

He didn't know what to do. He was in waters he couldn't stand in now, and he'd never learned how to swim.

Haido slipped his hands into his pockets to keep himself from doing something he would regret later. His eyes narrowed and his head lowered slightly and he wound up pouting a little. Kenji struck a nerve, and hard.

But, now Haido had a little insight to what was up with the other man. He'd apparently hurt Kenji. Now it was all down to how. Again, he had a feeling it might've been one of those heat of the moment mistakes, but Haido didn't go on hunches.

"So, even though she'll beat you senseless, you'll go back to her?" he asked through tight lips. "Is that it? I've lost you to her and I'm not sure why. But you'll take a beating from someone you've known for years rather than try and talk to me about whatever is going on? Why? Because you're unsure?"

He took a deep breath and his legs felt shaky. He'd never been confrontational. So when it rarely happened, his body argued with him.

Kenji's free hand was fisted so tight it hurt, and his hair fell into his eye again as he glared. "Shut the fuck up, Haido." He surprised himself with the flatness of his voice, the monotony. "You have no idea what you're talking about."

He wanted to hide now. Yep. Right now, because there was a large part of him that didn't want to drive Haido away. But it wasn't that part that was controlling his mouth, it was that part that was keeping him still, instead of locking himself in a bathroom stall.

He would have done that already if it would have helped.

Ultimately, the problem boiled down to one thing. Kenji's simple inability to talk about it. He couldn't say what Haido did. He wouldn't. He would rather dodge around the problem then say it again.

"You're right!" Haido cried out, removing his hands from his pockets to throw them up, exasperated. "I have no idea what I'm trying to talk about! And why? Because you just up and left without a word and started dating Keiko? Out of the blue just decided to up and date your best, abusive friend? Well, pardon me for being a little more than confused about the whole situation. Pardon me for trying to figure out what the hell I did wrong!"

He slammed a fist down on the edge of a sink and gripped it tightly. He was lightheaded and his legs quaked as his breathing came in short bursts.

"But, you know what?" he said, taking a deep breath and smoothing himself out. "I guess I'm sorry, Kenji. And not for whatever I've done, for getting involved with you."

He took the time to glance at his watch and look in the mirror before turning away.

"See you at practice, Sonoda."

"What you did wrong?" Kenji's voice was low, and the warm paper towels hit the bathroom floor with a wet slap. "You don't remember?" His voice was growing in incredulity, and he shook his head. "I can't fucking believe you."

He was going to lock himself in a stall after this, and give himself a swirly. But, in a different bathroom. Maybe a different building entirely.

He was livid, though, and couldn't make himself move. His hands were shaking, and his eyes were so narrow they may as well have been slits. Then he shook his head, as if he'd made up his mind. "No, you won't. Go to practice, and let them know I've had enough. I'm going home."

And he moved, shouldering roughly past Haido and out the door. He'd known. But what good did knowing beforehand do him? So what if it was likely this could tear apart the rest of his life. He didn't give a shit anymore, as long as he never had to look at Haido again.

Haido was knocked into the wall as Kenji shoved passed, and that was it for him. When the door shut, he slipped to his knees and didn't move until his legs stopped quivering under him. He couldn't exactly play dumb anymore, now could he?

He'd fucked up big time on this one.

Getting to his feet, he just barely saw Kenji before he left the building and got picked up in the foot traffic outside. Now it was time to break the news.

_Author's Notes: Not much to say on this chapter. Obvious tension between our couple. And a new side to Haido! Well, I couldn't keep him a quiet nobody, and I guess I really did break character with him. But it's always the quiet ones, y'know? They tend to blow up, too. This is really where Haido becomes a **person** in this story. He was still a background character, through all 35 chapters. He really starts developing from here on out as a characters._

_Guess I had a bit more to say than I thought. Sorry._

_Drop us a line._

_SL_


	37. Chapter 37

_Disclaimer: Blah._

_Author's Notes: Not much to say except 'good morning' to everyone. Here's your morning update._

_Enjoy._

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Thirty-Seven_

"I'm sorry, Chiba-san, what?" Tohma asked pleasantly, looking as if it was a joke.

"Sonoda-san will not be returning today," Haido said clearly, if not with a bit of attitude.

"What the hell did you do to him?" Keiko spat, throwing her pack of cigarettes at Haido.

He let it hit him in the head and flinched. "Couldn't be worse than the beating you administered previous," he said flatly.

Keiko kicked his chair out from under him. "Shut the hell up. You don't understand anything."

He groaned, moving away from Keiko, rubbing the back of his head. He'd heard it connect with the floor more than felt it.

"Y'know, people keep telling me that, but the funny thing is, no one tried to help me understand. Go figure," he said with a shrug, getting to his feet.

"Oh my," Tohma said simply, smiling though his eyes were not amused. Oh my indeed. It seemed as though the drama had not gone away. "I'm sorry, could you two please stop. And preferably sit as far away from each other as possible, while not speaking until I say otherwise?"

It sounded like a question, but it was an order. Haido righted his chair and sat back down staring at the table.

Taki's arms were crossed over his chest, and he leaned against the wall. He didn't seem phased as Haido fell from his chair, though it was the first truly violent thing he'd seen Keiko do to the synth player. Discrepancy in the ranks?

Oh, my. Tohma had such a way of understating the problem.

"I don't think it's just today we have to worry about." He said at last, pushing away from the wall and approaching Tohma, though he was looking at Keiko. "Aren't you the one that told me that Kenji was stubborn when he set his mind to it?"

The smile on his face was horribly bemused as he looked at Tohma, and it occurred to him that he shouldn't be finding the situation funny when they had a concert coming up in less then a month, and no singer to be found.

"I don't think he's coming back at all."

"Now hold on!" Keiko said, stepping towards them. "Kenji'll come back, Aizawa-san! He will. This is what he wants."

Tohma held up a hand. "So then, it depends which portion of his stubbornness is stronger. The stubbornness that will make him a star, or his stubbornness to avoid whatever he is so intent on avoiding."

Haido said nothing as his fists clenched under the table on his thighs, head lowered.

"Well, if a certain asshole was just a little more considerate-"

"Enough, Takashi-san," Tohma said sternly. "I care nothing about your personal lives. I don't care who is screwing who, who is cheating on who, et cetera. All I care about is work. I don't care if Sonoda-san is upset, all I care about is if he will be returning to work tomorrow, or if he has quit."

There was some absurd sense of hilarity in it all. Taki wanted to laugh, he really did, because it seemed just too funny. Who would have known it would blow up in their faces? They certainly hadn't considered Kenji acting like a prepubescent girl.

"Find him and ask." It seemed perfectly reasonable to him, and Taki knew that pointing out the obvious this way was going to ruffle the feathers he would have been better off leaving smooth. "At least one of you has to have his phone number."

The full weight of the situation hadn't hit him, and he knew it wouldn't. He thought it was funny, and that wouldn't help them think realistically at all. Sure, Kenji was gone, but it was so, so fucking funny.

Because they had a concert in a month, and no singer. Orchestras didn't work when people expected lyrics.

Tohma looked at the two bandmates thoughtfully. Alright, Kenji was angry with Haido, which caused Keiko to eventually choose sides and defend Kenji. All of this meant... nothing. It was stupid, and once everything between the band was good again, they would find this funny.

Right now, Tohma was not laughing.

"You two will be left in charge of finding Kenji and bringing him in to work tomorrow," the blond said.

"I don't need his help," Keiko spat, glaring at Haido.

"I won't leave you to beat him just to get him to come here," Haido snapped back.

"What was that?"

"You heard me."

"You little worthless-"

"Enough!" Tohma interrupted. "I am not your father, you are not my children, and I refuse to have everyone acting as such!"

His voice was still quiet, but there was nothing pleasant in his demeanor anymore. He was not happy with how this was turning out. Was nothing simple anymore? The plan seemed perfect when Tohma had teamed up with Taki for it. He forgot about not being able to master the people he played with.

"You two will find Kenji, I don't care how, and you will either bring him in to work, or come back saying that he has quit," Tohma explained. "Aizawa-san, my office. Now, please."

Tohma got up from the table and left the room without a word, or waiting for Taki to follow.

There was just something about seeing Seguchi Tohma angry that could drain the hilarity from a man. And Taki knew he was angry. This was the same quiet intensity he had been faced with only years before. It made him feel sober, quiet, and he nodded as Tohma left.

Right. 'My office' pretty much translated into, 'Follow me now, bitch.'

Who was he to say no?

Glancing at Haido and Keiko, who each looked ready to tear the others throats out, he shook his head and left the room. He knew the signs, yes, and that had to have something to do with why he was so amused. Young bands were made to fall apart, and Opium was well along the path to separation.

He had to wonder if they would pull through it, hands slipping into his pockets as he made the well known trek to Tohma's office.

Tohma strode down the hall, not looking as though he was glowering, but he was. He did have the manners to wait and hold the elevator for Taki. He probably shouldn't be rushing. Especially with Taki's legs as they were. Oh well.

"I want this fixed Taki," he said as he entered the lift and the doors closed. Tohma hit his floor button. "They either get some sense knocked into them, or I drop them. Unfortunately, with the contract, if I drop them, you go too."

The doors opened with a small ding.

A flash of panic that he didn't understand. Taki's arms crossed loosely over his chest, and he nodded. He had never seen Tohma's face like that. Angry, and obviously so. He had seen Tohma express it in his eyes, yes, but never in an open scowl.

If nothing else, that made the panic solid in his chest.

"What do you want me to do?" He asked, voice only a little unsure. He didn't know what to do, but he'd do it if Tohma asked. When had that stupid contract become so damn important? He didn't know, and he found himself beginning to not care.

What to do indeed.

Tohma exited the elevator and walked passed his secretary in silence, Taki behind. He resisted the urge to throw his office door open, slamming it into the wall, instead, gently pushing it open and stepping in.

Still he hadn't spoken a word, and his silence continued as he rummaged around and took up his bottle of rum and a glass and sat at his desk, pouring out a cupful. Once he drained it and poured another glass, Tohma sighed and looked over at Taki, scowl still in place.

"I'm not sure," he admitted, and the scowl deepened for a moment in disgust at his own words. Tohma finished off the glass of rum. "I don't know if Keiko will help or harm anything, if Haido can fix anything, and if Kenji can stop being a drama queen. I can't control them as people."

And that was the real problem if you asked him. Tohma poured out another glass and stared out the window.

And the god has fallen.

Taki knew he should have expected it, and he had, on some level. He watched Tohma at the window, and the deep sense of panic faded into something else. Something he didn't recognize, and didn't want to.

He fought off the urge to cross the room and touch Tohma to make sure he was still alive.

"Kenji's always been a drama queen. He'll come around." But it sounded hollow. He didn't want to trust this to Keiko and Haido, but he knew it was just as unlikely that Kenji would listen to him, too. He didn't know if there was anyone Kenji would listen to.

Where had the days gone when he didn't have to worry about anything? Had they disappeared in a flash of headlights, or had he simply gone insane? He was worried about everything. Tohma, Kenji, the band, his job, the contract...

And things he wasn't quite sure what to call.

"Don't be stupid, Taki," Tohma snapped, not looking back at him. "It took a car to bring you around, and though Keiko's rough with him, he's lived with it for so long that it wouldn't change his mind."

He sighed, drinking the third glass, though slower. The burn was starting to hurt instead of pleasantly warming him. He didn't know how to handle this. They were just barely adults and none of them acted like it. The last time he and Taki had gotten involved, something had gone wrong.

"So... do we leave them on their own?" he asked, feeling tired. Old. Tohma didn't know if he could keep up with the drama caused by people younger than he.

If it took a car for him, they needed to use a truck on Kenji. Still, Taki's eyes narrowed, and he shifted his weight self consciously. Yeah, he remembered all about that fucking car.

"I can't think of anything else to do." Taki picked at the cuff of his shirt, flicking the button despondently. "Give him enough time, and Kenji will come around. He'll be miserable doing anything but singing, and he'll come back."

Taki knew he would, because he knew what it felt like. He was miserable doing anything but singing, and he had come back, though through a different position. Still, their situations were different, but it was singing alone that they had in common.

He knew it would work.

"The problem is, we don't have that much time."

"Then we leave them. One week, Taki," Tohma said, finishing his drink, and settling far back into his chair, resting the glass on his desk. "If Kenji is not here on time in one week or sooner... I'm dropping Opium."

And with them went Taki.

"I'd offer you a job right now to keep you, you are good at what you do, but we're a little over staffed. I took you on because you already had a band to manage, and I've got every band hooked up with a manager, if not two," the blond sighed as he closed his eyes.

He didn't need reasons for anything, no one had a right to ask him to explain himself.

"But I'd like to keep Opium on the label," he said, looking over at Taki.

One week, and the deadline was set. Taki could almost hear the clock ticking in the background, and the panic came back. His fingers curled around the cuff of his shirt, but he nodded. He understood.

At least, he thought he did.

There was something wrong with this. Something wrong with him. Taki was not a quiet person, but he couldn't think of anything to say. Just nod, and that wasn't him. Not him at all. Still, it was... kind of comforting that Tohma would hire him if they weren't overstaffed. It didn't secure him a job, but it was nice.

Too bad he didn't care about nice. The only 'nice' he wanted to see was a nice, big bed, so he could sleep and stop thinking.

Tohma sighed again, closing his eyes as he tried to smooth his face back out to normal. If nothing else, he would certainly have to remember to recommend a good anger management class for Keiko. That girl was certainly something to fear.

The blond opened his eyes and pushed himself out of the chair. The alcohol spun his head slightly in a rush. He loved it. It brought a small shadow of a smile to his lips. He walked over to Taki in silence, he wasn't in the mood for words.

Tohma wrapped one hand behind Taki's head and pulled him forward in a hard kiss, his other arm looping around the other man's waist. He pushed Taki's lips apart and for some reason took comfort in this as he coaxed out Taki's tongue.

He would have pulled back, he really would have, but Tohma was strong for a man of such slight build. Taki couldn't pull away, though he did try, not at all surprised he failed. Why was Tohma kissing him when they had more important things to worry about? Like how to get Kenji back in a week, or...

Or...

Or, what?

He was giving up control to his mouth, his arms going up to wrap around Tohma's neck. Just... a little break. It never killed anyone, right? His eyes shut, and the kiss deepened as he welcomed it, fingers curling into the light hair at the back of Tohma's neck.

_Author's Notes: Drama, drama, drama! Again, we see Haido evolving more and more. It's won't stop here. He's finally turning into someone. And Tohma and Taki? What of them? They're just so... perfect. Our character's really came together a lot on this. Well, that's all for now. Don't forget, and update tonight, too!_

_SL_


	38. Chapter 38

_Disclaimer: Bleh._

_Author's Notes: Hey everyone! Here's the second update. I hope you're all enjoying the story so far. It's been so much fun to write with Kel. We were surprised the the reviews didn't start pouring in after the sex scenes. That's usually how it happens, y'know? Anyways, this is a fun chapter._

_Enjoy!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Thirty-Eight_

Haido glared at his cell phone, snapping it shut. No answer. So now what could they do? He set the small silver phone down in the table, crossing his arms and looking over at Keiko.

"No answer," he said flatly.

"No shit," she replied, glaring at him.

"So what do you suggest, then?"

"Let him come back on his own."

"Seguchi-san won't allow that."

Keiko said nothing as she sighed and picked up her things. Haido watched silently as she left the room. He did nothing as he knew she was leaving the building and going out to find Kenji.

As she stepped outside, she started walking in the direction of the flow of people. She didn't know where to look first since his mood was so unstable.

He didn't go home. Kenji knew he was being petty, but he held his phone as he walked, watching Haido's name blink on the little screen that told him who was calling. He wasn't going to pick it up, but he got a sick kind of pleasure knowing that Haido was trying to call him.

What was he going to do, apologize?

Yeah, right. Haido had said it himself, the only thing he regretted was getting involved with Kenji.

It shouldn't have hurt so much. It was only sex! Important sex, but it was still just sex.

Shoving the phone back in his pocket, Kenji wasn't paying attention to where he was going. But not home. He didn't want to be found yet. Some time on his own sounded good. Too good, almost.

He veered left, into a park, up a short flight of steps, and found himself staring up at a monument. The park seemed quiet, but he knew there were people around. He could hear them, children laughing, trying to get their mothers attention. Dogs barking, pulling along their owners on the lunchtime walk. Kids skipping class and talking on their cell phones.

And his phone was dismally quiet again.

Dropping hard onto the ground, Kenji let himself sprawl on the grass, eyes shut. He wondered if anyone would wake him up if he fell asleep.

Haido left the building a little while after Keiko, slipping his phone into his pocket. Kenji wouldn't pick up for him, that was obvious, but there was no reason to stay in the building. He just walked, trying to clear his head, but it all wound up back on Kenji and how to fix this, if for no other reason than to make sure the band stayed together.

Eventually he found himself at the park near his house. It was still early and he didn't feel like going back home yet. Nothing to do. He walked through, looking at the people around. He liked watching people. It was always interesting.

Haido walked passed someone laying in the grass and smiled. You really didn't see that anymore, someone just enjoying something so simple.

Wait... red hair.

He stopped and crossed over to a bench and took out his phone. Sitting down he called Kenji's number, if nothing else it would wake him up. He doubted he would pick up.

His pants were vibrating. Kenji cursed, pushing himself up and digging through his pocket to reach his phone. He glared at the screen with Haido's name, irritation taking over the sick pleasure. Sitting up fully, he turned and threw the phone hard. It landed well away from him, lying open on the grass.

Flopping back down again, Kenji draped an arm over his eyes, then promptly hissed and jerked it away. His eye was still red, and it was beginning to swell. He needed ice for it, but ice would mean he had to go home.

He didn't want to go home. He didn't want to be found, and that's why his phone was lying in the grass, probably racking up minutes as Haido talked to himself.

Well, good. Kenji didn't want to talk to him, so he'd get more conversation out of himself than anyone else. Bastard.

Haido frowned as he watched Kenji sit up and throw his phone. Someone was PMSing pretty hard. What a bitch. He didn't know why it was so hard to just talk about something.

He got up from the bench and went back over to Kenji, kicking one of his boots, arms crossed. He didn't know what he was doing or what he was going to say, but he couldn't avoid it now.

Would this wind up better or worse?

There was a dumbshit kicking his shoe. Kenji sighed, opening his eyes to glare up at the offender. The glare never reached its full potential, because his eyes widened and he stared, forcing himself to roll over and grab for his phone.

Maybe it was time to go home. He didn't want to talk to Haido until Haido knew what he was talking about.

The other man's ignorance made him angry, unstable and unreasonable.

"So that's it?" he asked, watching Kenji scramble around. "You don't even want to talk this out at all?"

Oh hell, it didn't matter. Haido only needed to know if Kenji quit or not. Screw whatever happened between them. Hey couldn't deal with that right now.

"Never mind. Seguchi and Aizawa need to know if you quit or not," Haido said. "If you didn't, you have to come into work tomorrow."

No one said what would happen if Kenji had quit.

He stopped grabbing for his phone, sitting down cross-legged instead. Kenji snapped the phone shut, brow furrowing into a hard frown. "I'm not going back tomorrow." He tilted his head back, hands in his lap.

The entire position perfected the child like look, save for the bruise over his eye and the bright color of his hair. The want to stay away from home was very much gone, now, and he would love nothing more then to return to his apartment where he didn't have to face Haido.

He didn't know what to say. He wanted to yell again, because yelling had been easy, but he didn't want to begin to talk about the subject that Haido had first mentioned. He just wished it could solve itself.

Haido looked down at Kenji with raised eyebrows. He wasn't coming in tomorrow? Now, this could just mean that he didn't want to come in tomorrow.

It could also mean that he quit.

"As in you're taking the day off?" he asked, trying to clarify whatever was going on. "Or do you quit, because I didn't think of you as one who would quit their dream."

Haido couldn't believe the childish way Kenji was handling all of this. Damnit, it was so infuriating!

"It doesn't feel like the same dream anymore." Kenji sighed, his frown deepened. "It's changed." And he was sure Haido knew how it had changed, and how he wanted it to go back to what it was before.

Haido had to understand that, if not the entire situation.

Pushing himself to his feet, he shoved his phone back into his pocket, brushing off his pants. Rubbing his hands through his hair, he sighed. There was just something... wrong, and he wanted it to go away.

"You still don't remember, do you?" Quiet, because he hadn't meant to say it.

"If said I did, would you stop running away and talk to me?" Haido asked. "Or would we just keep playing this game?"

He couldn't fix Kenji, he couldn't change Kenji, but he couldn't put up with Kenji if he kept running away from everything. Haido wasn't exactly demanding or picky, he just wasn't a fan of the whole 'well, if you don't know what you did wrong, I won't tell you'.

"And if your dream has changed because of me, it's a stupid reason to quit. People are going to do worse and more idiotic things to you in your life... and if you let just me stop you because I'm a thoughtless moron who needs to be kicked in the head, then how is it you deal with Keiko every day?"

Haido rubbed the small of his back that was most likely bruised from her kicking his chair out. He looked up at Kenji, offering a small smile and a shrug.

The smile through him off, and Kenji blinked. "What happened to your back?" He asked, stepping around Haido to stare at his back as if he could see what was wrong through the shirt. Instinctively, accidentally, he touched Haido's side, fingers light and hesitant as he realized what he was doing.

He was going to deal with the subjects of their conversation one at a time, as he had to. He didn't want to think about it all at once, because it was an overwhelming weight to consider.

"Keiko," he said shortly, dropping his hand away. "We, uh... had a misunderstanding, and I wound up on the floor."

Haido felt the fingers brushing over him and looked over his shoulder up at Kenji. Still so very easily distracted.

"I don't know how you do it every single day," he sighed. "She's frightening."

And she didn't even directly hit him! She only kicked his chair out, the chair mainly did the damage to him. Kenji looked worse for wear than he did. Still, Keiko scared him.

"She's my best friend." Kenji shrugged, straightening up and taking his hands away. "You get used to it after a few years." He sighed, and took a step back, away from Haido.

"Unless you find a new singer, though, you won't have a few years." He wasn't going to do it anymore. He'd made up his mind, and that was it. He was sure there was someone who could replace him. It couldn't be that hard to find a lead singer.

He wasn't sure he wanted to stick around to see Haido's reaction, though, and ditching down the park's path sounded very appealing.

"Can we talk about this at all, Kenji?" Haido asked softly. "Can you at least give me the chance to try and fix this?"

He didn't want something to end before it even started. He wanted to make things right again. And if talking wouldn't help matters, maybe something else would.

"If I left, would you go back?" he questioned, turning around to face Kenji. "You can replace me, easy. But you and Keiko... why break something like that up? Go in tomorrow. I'll call Seguchi to tell him I'm leaving."

Most of the tracks were already recorded, advertising had just barely started, so no one really knew him. A replacement would be easily done for a synth player.

"You shouldn't leave, Haido." Kenji shook his head, shoving his hands in his pockets. He'd do something stupid if he didn't. "You worked hard, you should be able to go through with it."

And had he worked hard? Hell yes, he had, but this was his decision, and he was done deciding on it. He didn't think Haido could convince him out of it.

He didn't want to talk about replacements, though he knew it would become a subject that wouldn't leave him alone. He didn't really want to have anyone be replaced, even him, but leaving was just easier. He didn't want to have to suffer through everything just because he and Haido couldn't get along.

Even if they were getting along now.

Haido sighed, running a hand through his hair impatiently. This was not how it should've happened. It was Kenji's band, literally. It had been Kenji and Keiko, they dragged him in, and now Kenji was leaving.

That's not how it was supposed to go.

"Kenji, I just want to know," he said, shifting his weight for a moment. "Is there nothing I can do now?"

He wouldn't blame the other man if the answer was no. But Haido didn't want to think that this was the end. After all... the things that had happened between must've happened with some purpose behind them.

Or is could've been wishful thinking.

He didn't say anything for a long time. Kenji was frowning again, his fingers flat against his legs in his pockets. He was looking at Haido, but not seeing him, staring past the other man at the trees that kept the park from the road.

Was there anything Haido could do?

He wasn't sure, and it made him feel sick, deep in his stomach like he'd eaten something bad for lunch. But that wasn't possible, because he hadn't eaten lunch. He'd gotten beat up instead.

That was okay, he supposed. He hadn't really been hungry anyway.

"I don't know." He finally whispered, soft and quiet. He really didn't know. All he knew was that the problem stemmed from his own inability to talk to Haido, and tell him what was wrong, and Haido's inability to remember. He knew that if he told the other man, it was all too likely they could find a way to solve the problem, but he was still hurt, and couldn't make himself say the words.

The silence was unnerving considering where it was coming from. Haido was hoping beyond hope that something good would suddenly happen. After all this drama, something good was bound to happen for them eventually, right?

"Then let me try and make it up to you?" Haido asked. "Saying sorry won't really cut it, will it? So... just let me try."

If Kenji got sick of him, he'd give up. But it couldn't hurt to try, at the very least the singer should give him that... unless he was already sick of Haido.

"Please, Kenji," he asked quietly. "Because I didn't mean it when I said I wasted my time with you."

Kenji blinked, bringing his gaze back to Haido. His brow furrowed, as if he was confused, but he knew he had heard right. Haido wanted to try. For him. He couldn't make himself angry when Haido was looking at him like that. He tried, and he couldn't.

He was shaking his head, but it wasn't to say no. It was slow, like he was trying to convince himself this was really happening.

"You don't even know what you did, Haido. How can you make it better if you don't know what you're trying to fix?"

He'd have to tell him. Kenji knew he had to, but it made his stomach flip. Oh, god... He couldn't. He couldn't! But he wanted to let Haido try, more then he didn't want to tell him.

"Maybe I can figure it out as I go," Haido said with a shrug, though that wasn't to say he didn't really care what he had did, but to say that he didn't find that aspect as important as getting the chance to make it up to Kenji. "Give me a week, Kenji. Just a week is all I'm asking. If I haven't done anything to at least sway you in to staying with the band, that being the very least of my goals, I promise never to bother you again about anything."

Haido had no idea what he was going to do, but it was time to start thinking about it. It wasn't a matter of spoiling the crap out of Kenji for a week, it was a matter of doing things that would keep Kenji's mind on the good instead of the idiotic, stupid and moronic things he'd done. A grander form of apology than 'I'm sorry'.

He could do it... couldn't he?

"Okay." Kenji had agreed before he bothered to think about it. "One week."

Could he handle one week? He couldn't forget the day locked in the studio, or the anger he had felt at Haido only an hour before. One week of giving Haido a chance. One whole week.

What was Haido going to do?

What was HE going to do?

Kenji rubbed a hand through his hair, a light line pressed into his skin because of the way he'd had his wrist. "I should go home." He gestured at his eye, which was noticeably swollen now. It was throbbing, too, giving him a headache that rivaled the time when Keiko had kicked him into a wall.

Okay? Kenji actually agreed to let him do this? Basically they were both in the dark on what would happen, but Haido was determined to make it work. He had to, otherwise he could officially be blamed for destroying a few lives and their dreams.

"Oh?" he looked over the singer's eye quickly. It had gotten pretty bad. "Yes, alright. I'll tell Seguchi and Aizawa that things are on hold for now, and, hopefully, I'll be seeing you soon."

After he figured out how to pull off something great for Kenji. For a whole week. This was going to be insane. What had he gotten himself into?

_Author's Notes: See? More development on Haido. And a tender moment. Almost. So, the question is, what will Haido do? And what's going on with Tohma and Taki? All things shall be revealed!_

_Drop us a line._

_SL_


	39. Chapter 39

_Disclaimer: Don't own anything except Opium!_

_Author's Notes: Alrighty then. I know I said I'd be doing two updates per day. This should, technically, be chapter 40. I apologize. When I came home last night, I had found out that my dog had chewed through the wire that chages my computer. I hope he got a nasty shock considering it was still plugged in. My older brother did a quick fix by stripping the wire and reconnecting it, so it'll last (hopefully) until I get a new wire that fits this computer._

_On a lighter note, I've finished the basic editing on all the chapters I had left to go over. So, over the next few days of updating this story and trying to get Kel back on track with the sequel, I'll be going over the chapters more and more to fine tune the editing. I find it's easier to do a little bit at a time with a large piece of work. So, instead of spending hours and hours on one chapter, I spend a few hours on a bunch and do a little at a time. It's good._

_Also, I'll try my hardest to get Kel's input when I can or feel it's needed. I really would've loved to have her words a few chapters back with the one we hated, but she's just busy. She has a friend coming in to see her in April, and school, and the relationships. Typical high school! So, between all that and school work, it doesn't really bother me. I remember how fun and hectic it was. _

_Anyways, enjoy!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Thirty-Nine_

Keiko wanted to laugh, and she did, right in Haido's face. She was still angry, and this was just too priceless. "Why the hell should I tell you about Kenji?" She demanded, her arms folding over her chest.

She hadn't found Kenji when she had left to look for him, but it had only taken an hour for her to get the call from Haido to meet him back at the NG building. And now this?

The hilarity was almost too much.

Haido bit the inside of his cheek. What else could he expect? Keiko didn't want anything to do with him, and she most likely didn't want him to have anything to do with Kenji.

This was going to be a lot harder than he thought.

"He said he's going to quit," Haido said calmly. "All I've got is one week to make everything up to him. Hopefully I can do well enough to at least keep him in the band."

Would she deny him even after that?

"At least tell me about him so we can keep the band together," he said, almost pleading.

They were in one of the break rooms, and Keiko dropped into a chair. She propped booted feet up on the table, crossed at the ankles. For a moment, she just stared at Haido, then she sighed.

It was for the band, after all.

"Sit down. I'll tell you what he likes."

A huge wave of relief washed over him as he pulled out a chair and sat down across from Keiko. Haido wanted to say thank you, or something, but from the grudging way she was giving in, it didn't seem like the right time for pleasantries.

"I need to know everything," he said, leaning over the table. "Food, colors, music, TV shows all of it. Anything he's every told you he's wanted to do, or... or anything like that. I need to know."

Maybe if he got enough information, he could actually pull this off. Maybe he'd be able to do something right for once out of all of this. It was just feeling so rushed, Haido was starting to feel uneasy about it all.

"Food?" Keiko leaned back in the chair, front to feet coming off the floor. "He loves pizza, but he won't eat it in a restaurant because he thinks it's too small. He loves Ramune soda, his favorite color is light blue, he loves Iceman. Rin, particularly, but he thinks Kenichi Ito is funny. He watched Castle in the Sky eight times when he bought it, but his copy broke."

Her voice was tender, but still clipped with irritation. She'd known Kenji for years, but it felt so strange to list off his quirks, and the things he liked.

"He loves anime. He's always wanted to go to a convention, but every time one came around, he'd be out of town, or sick. He hates to be cold, and he has too many sweatshirts that he never wears out of the house."

She had to think, now, scraping over her memory of everything Kenji had ever told her he wanted to do. "He's never ridden a horse or a motorcycle. He hates grow out in his hair, and dyes it every two weeks. He can't sleep on his back or his stomach, always on his side. He hates having dirt under his fingernails."

She wasn't listing things that Haido could do for him, more quirks. Things she had noticed over the years. "He never has food in his apartment because he can't cook. He's asthmatic, can't run for more then a few blocks. He wants to get a tattoo and a piercing, but he's too afraid to do it on his own."

Haido listened with rapt attention, lips tugging in a small smile every now and then. He could see Kenji getting excited over some new anime in a store, or being mad when he's laid up sick and he can't go out.

The music tastes wasn't as much of a surprise to him. He'd thought that sounded right. Kinda made some sense of the red hair. A lot of the information seemed obvious once he heard it, but he wouldn't be able to figure it out on his own.

Maybe he could do something easy at first. Cook for him, or... teach him how to cook. Then again, the prospect of a burning apartment wasn't exactly appealing. Well, teaching him may not be the best idea.

A tattoo or piercing? Something to keep in mind, but really not the best thing to start out with. It had to be easy, but really nice at the same time. He had no idea where to start, but at least he could form an idea now.

"How come you never went with him to get it done... or why didn't you ever take him to do these things?" Haido asked, not really thinking about it. It just seemed logical that as Kenji's best friend, she would do what he really wanted to do sometimes.

The soft look that had come over Keiko's face was gone, and she brought her feet down from the table. "He's not a kid anymore. I don't want to be walking him through his life for the next twenty years. There are just some things he needs to do on his own."

Maybe these weren't those things, but a convention and a piercing were minor. Kenji could do those things on his own, and if he couldn't, he would have to learn how, or make Haido do it with him.

She was not an avid supporter of their relationship, though. She may beat the shit out of Kenji on a regular basis (it was all to get the important things through his thick head), but he was her best friend, and she did worry about him.

Haido was silent for a moment, regarding Keiko with a new attitude. Yes she was violent and abrasive. Rude and blunt, but she was a good friend... in her own way. She did have Kenji's interests in mind somewhere, though it did seem to get lost in the violence.

"I think I understand," he said with a slight nod. She did have a unique way of handling things. "I don't think it'll help any by saying don't worry, but I am going to try to keep him in the band."

He didn't know if it would aggravate her or possibly make things a little better, though he figured saying that would be better than saying what his initial intents were. Haido wanted to make things between Kenji and him work if he could.

"You... wouldn't know what I did wrong... would you?" he asked cautiously. Keiko was volitile. He didn't know what mood that question might bring.

The smile on her face was flat as she stood, and gone in an instant. Almost a mocking smile, but just a shade more approachable. "Sure, I know." She regarded him with cool eyes, arching a brow at him as her arms crossed. "Don't you?"

He was there, he'd have to know. All she knew was what Kenji told her, and what she saw with her own two eyes. She wasn't sure which version was more full of shit.

Now was not the moment to get blustered, and Haido tried to keep his own face as it was. He still wasn't positive which part Kenji was really upset about. But Keiko didn't need to know that, did she?

"Yeah," he said, maybe a bit too quickly. "I just wanted to know if he'd been talking."

He wasn't the greatest liar in the world, he didn't like to lie, but he didn't want to look like a huge idiot and the worlds biggest jerk by admitting he didn't know for sure. Haido suddenly just wanted to get out of there.

"Alright, thanks a lot for this Keiko," he said getting up, putting an end to the conversation. "I'm going to try my best."

_Author's Notes: Can you notice something different? I didn't want to dominate an entire chapter and have things completely go my way, so Kel played Keiko in this chapter. Sometimes I can tell the difference in our writing styles, but I've been over this story so many times, I'd like a third party opinion. So, could anyone tell the difference between my Keiko and Kel's? Be honest!_

_Drop us a line._

_SL_


	40. Chapter 40

_Disclaimer: Bleh._

_Author's Notes: Good morning one and all! A little bit of a rush this morning. I've got things and thing to do before the family comes back from Vegas. But first and foremost is finishing up my TA application, but to do that I have to go to my old high school and talk with a teacher to get a reference since she ran an acting program for kids that I helped her teach two summers in a row._

_After that it's cleaning the house, my room, doing laundry, dishes, ect. It's going to be a busy day. If I don't make the update for tonight, apologies. I'll get it in ASAP tomorrow morning in between more job hunting. _

_Anyways, we've had some recent developments in the story! I love it. Ah, but now, let's take a step back from the drama and peek in on what was supposed to be our main couple. _

_Enjoy!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Forty _

Taki was organizing papers. It wasn't his favorite activity, no, it never had been, but he'd made a mess of the table by spreading out schedules and possible advertisements for Opium. He wasn't letting the band and their activities go on hold just because Kenji was having a fit.

They'd never get anything done.

He was humming to himself without realizing it as he stacked papers, an old ASK tune. He wasn't keeping time, but it wasn't necessary, and soon enough, he had the table organized again.

Damn. He hated cleaning.

He was still humming as he lifted his head to look at the clock, brow furrowing. Six forty five. He'd been off work for forty five minutes already. Disgusting. He was turning into the one thing he had always hated being.

It was early and Tohma really didn't feel like finishing the paperwork he had to do. True, he was doing it a little early, which meant it wouldn't be a big deal if he put it off for one day. Tohma would make time for it elsewhere. He always did.

He checked his watch. Six fifty. Hmm... he certainly didn't feel like going home to the large house with his usually cold, irate (depending on what he had forgotten to do) wife. Though, sitting at a bar alone didn't appeal to him either.

He hit the intercom.

"Yes, Seguchi-san?" the female voice came back.

"Has Aizawa-san left for the night yet?" Tohma asked, hoping he hadn't gone home for the night yet.

"No, sir. He's just cleaning up his office."

"Thank you, Aki."

He got up from his desk and shut off the lights to his office, placing his bowler on his head and slipping into his long jacket. Shutting the door behind him, he locked it and walked passed his secretary, telling her she could leave for the night.

Down the elevator to the fifth floor and down the halls. Some bands were still practicing and working. He made sure that his managers and producers did their jobs well and worked hard. But Taki's office was all the way down at the end, door shut. The blond tapped lightly before opening the door, leaning against the doorframe as smiling slightly as he heard Taki humming.

"Am I interrupting?"

The light tap had passed his attention. They almost always did. Taki didn't listen to soft noises anymore. They slipped past his ears as if they weren't there, and that was perfectly fine wit him. But, it made him jump when Tohma spoke, and the humming dropped off as he realized there was someone else in the room with him.

The slight smile was a little unnerving. Tohma's smiles were usually less genuine then that.

"No. I was just finishing." As if to demonstrate the point, he pushed the open drawer of his desk closed.

In fact, he was done. The paperwork was stacked up against the phone he didn't use, and his jacket was draped over the back of his chair. He was ready to go, either home, or to get something to eat, he didn't know.

He wasn't certain he had any food in his apartment. He'd never been much of a cook.

Tohma saw the jump and his shoulders shook slightly in a silent giggle. It was amusing that he'd been unaware of the blonde until the very last moment. For someone who always seemed to be on top of things, seeing others get caught off guard was amusing.

But Taki was finished with his work as well. Hopefully the other man didn't have any plans afterwards. Otherwise it was going to be a long, nagging filled night for him.

"Do you have anything to do afterwards, Taki?" he asked pleasantly. "If not, I was thinking that maybe we could both get something to eat."

A pleasant offer or a call on their contract?

Taki picked up his jacket and shook his head. "I didn't have anything planned, no." And that was as good as agreeing to go with Tohma, really, because if he had nothing better to do, he might as well spend time with his...

Boss?

Was Tohma technically his boss anymore? Sure, he'd be out of a job if they didn't bring Kenji back, but what were they, really? He couldn't view Tohma with a platonic eye. Not when he knew how Tohma felt pushing into him, kissing him. Not when he knew how soft those gloved hands really were.

Not a platonic relationship in the least, and certainly not work based. What _were_ they?

The blond figured it was settled then. Everything would be fine. Just two... people, going out after work to get something to eat. They were out of work, so it wasn't as co-workers, then again, they weren't the best of friends either, so it wasn't that. They were just... people.

"Well, my limo is waiting in the parking lot, or did you have your car with you?" Tohma asked politely. Either or was fine with him, or if they met up, though he thought it simpler to share a ride.

He figured a small bar and restaurant would be good. He knew one a little ways out. Small, noisy depending on the night, usually had a live band every now and then, and the food wasn't anything to complain about.

"I have my car, but I don't want to drive." Taki put on the jacket, and instantly wished it was lighter. He felt like he couldn't move in this, but it kept him warm in the cooling weather. Even form fitting, he hated suit jackets.

He would never wear them if he could get away with it.

Patting his pocket to make sure his keys were in it, he moved toward Tohma, reaching to turn off the lights without realizing he had stopped almost nose to nose with the other man. There was no way this could be his boss.

He smiled again, amused at Taki's antics more and more. They weren't planned out, there were no ploys. Taki was just Taki. Their height difference wasn't much, but he did have to look down just slightly to make their eyes connect.

Tohma stepped aside and out of Taki's office, allowing him to turn off the light, step out and close and lock the door. The thought of kissing the other man had crossed his mind, though, they may not have left had that happened. There was something about Taki... something that made him unable to help himself, though he still felt so in control.

No need to dwell on it.

The smile made him glare, but it lacked heat. Taki didn't realize when he was about to do something stupid, not when it was around Tohma. They just happened, and he wasn't used to that. He was used to his actions having a purpose, and Tohma stripped all of that away from him.

But he felt marvelously free away from it all. He wasn't entirely certain he wanted it back.

"Where are we going to eat?" Oh, fuck, did this count as a date? It made Taki's heart quicken, and he instantly cursed himself silently for it. Why would he want a date with Tohma?

"A small bar and restaurant place. Good food, occasionally good music, and who doesn't like a few drinks?" Tohma said jokingly. He gave a small laugh and started down the hallway, back towards the elevator.

"I think you'll like it, especially if they have a live band out tonight," he said conversationally. "Would you prefer some place else?"

It was only polite since Taki should have some choice. If he didn't like places like this, then certainly he shouldn't have to go.

"No..." Taki shook his head, brushing his hair out of his eyes with an unconscious brush of his fingers. "That sounds fine." Fine, because he didn't want to stretch so far as to say it sounded great.

But he liked live bands, and he liked bars. And he certainly liked the two together.

Add Tohma into it, and Taki would be a happy boy.

Almost, anyway. Undoubtedly there was something he could find to be annoyed about.

The blond smiled and nodded, hitting the button to the elevator. He stepped in when it opened, Taki following and the door shut, taking them down to the lobby. Once out, he walked them to the back employee parking lot. Many cars were still there, the lot cluttered, but his limo stood out (it was the only one). The driver was leaning against the car smoking as he read a book. When they got there he snubbed the cigarette and held open the back door for them. He shut it after they climbed in and got in himself, starting the car.

"Jimmy's please," Tohma told the driver, then put up the tinted window that separated the large section Tohma and Taki were seated in from the drivers section.

"I think you might need to trim your hair soon," the blond comment. "I see you brushing it back more and more."

Taki blinked in surprise, catching himself a moment from pushing a strand back. His hand fell to his lap, and he shrugged with one shoulder. "I haven't had the time. There are a lot of things right now that need attention."

There was no hidden jibe, just the bare facts. He hadn't had the time, and he hadn't been paying attention to his hair. He'd been distracted, with the band the music and getting Kenji to sing.

And now?

Finding Kenji, and making sure there was still a band to schedule things for. Keiko and Haido would have to start doing individual photo shoots until they could bring Kenji back. They could pass it off as a serious.

The band first, then the singer. Saving the best for last, or something.

"Mm," Tohma said with a nod. "It's cute though."

He didn't mind the little quirk, it wasn't like something that annoyed Tohma and made him bring it to the other man's attention. It was just something he'd said without any real thought to it.

"Do you think we should get involved at all?" Tohma asked after a moment. It wouldn't be hard for Tohma to enlist a few people and have Kenji tracked down and persuaded shortly. "Is it a good idea to leave it up to the other two?"

He didn't usually doubt his choices, but he didn't know where to go with this anymore. All three were so very independent, it was far beyond his control. He didn't like it, but he had to live with it.

Cute? Cute used to be a word he hated. Taki still did, but it sounded different coming from Tohma. In his mind, he reminded himself to cancel the appointment he had for his hair in the next month. Unless... it grew too much by then. He never let the length pass his jaw. It irritated him too much.

Cute, though. Huh.

"If there's anyone who could bring Kenji back faster then himself, it's those two." Taki shook his head, looking out the window. Kenji was a singer, and he lived for it. He would come back eventually, but with the press of his bandmates, he was certain the process would only become faster.

"Well, I hope they are trying," Tohma said, masking what should've been a sigh with a lighthearted note. There was something different in his urge to keep Opium under his contract.

The limo pulled around a corner and waited in traffic to pull up along side Jimmy's. Tohma waited as the driver got out and went around, holding the door open for him and Taki. The blond climbed out with Taki behind him.

From outside the place look like more of a nightlife thing. It seemed well worn for the bar scene, and it sounded like things were just starting up. People were talking loudly to hear over one another, and instruments were tuning loudly over well used amps inside.

"It seems like we lucked out. A live band," Tohma said happily, walking up and holding the door open for Taki.

The noise and the lights and the smell wrapped around Taki in a warm embrace as he stepped into the bar. He loved the way it felt, soft. Reminiscent of a childhood home he hadn't seen in years. He didn't want to count them.

He turned to shoot a grin at Tohma. A wicked kind of grin, one that was planning. Already. Yes, he was almost back to himself. Action with a purpose.

First, though. They needed drinks.

Impulsively, he reached out and took Tohma's hand to pull him toward the bar. He wondered how fast you had to knock back scotch to get drunk off it.

Tohma had to admit, the change that occurred in Taki had been... abrupt to say the least. He'd been so conservative since they'd been together so far. Not so much like the reckless singer who wanted everything his way. No, more grown up. But seeing that grin made Tohma fully aware that Taki was still the Taki he'd always been.

A hand wrapped around his gloved one and he let himself get pulled towards the bar that Taki lead them over to. It was crowded and loud, smoke clogging the air, but Tohma helped Taki worm his way through the crowd, though he could feel the tingle of being unclean start over him. Once at the bar, Tohma made the orders for them. Taki got his scotch, Tohma on the other hand, opted for a few shots of vodka.

He didn't have to drive home, and it was always a little fun to think he was younger and could still do these things. Tohma slid the money over the smudge reflective wood of the bar and gave something as close to a grin as Tohma would ever get to Taki before throwing back one of the five shots he'd ordered.

Taki finished his scotch fast, shaking his head when the bartender gestured to ask if he wanted another. No, not another scotch. Glancing at Tohma, he snuck out a hand and stole one of the shot glasses, knocking it back before Tohma could protest.

That almost-grin sent a thrill through him, and this wouldn't be nearly as hard as he thought it would.

He was suddenly glad he couldn't hold alcohol down. Just a few seconds after a scotch and a shot, and he felt fuzzy. Ready to sway if he moved. He loved the unbalance, and pointed down at the shots to order them another five instead of the scotch.

And he'd finish every damn one, with or without Tohma's help.

Tohma just watched as Taki took one of his shots. He finished the last three in quick, slightly impressive succession, each one hitting the bar top back down with a sharp click. It numbed his mouth and burnt his throat and warm his chest, settling there before reaching his stomach and making him feel somewhere between sick and sleepy.

The blond smiled, watching as the bartender brought five more shots of vodka over to Taki, again, Tohma paid. It was worth it to see Taki suddenly get closer and closer to what he used to be. Interesting things, humans.

Tohma took one of the shots as payment for the one Taki had taken. He smiled easily as he watched Taki with the other four. Meanwhile, the band was plucking strings and making the amps thunk hollowly and click and whistles from gods knew what. Eventually, over the insanity of voices, the singer spoke up over the din, announcing who they where and what they were doing. A cover band.

Four shots down in quick succession, and the alcohol went directly to his head. Taki laughed when the band announced what songs they would be performing. A cover band! How quaint.

His hands were fishing through his jacket pockets, pulling out the important things like his keys and pushing them into his pants pockets. He knew that if he took off his coat, which he fully intended to do, he wouldn't find it when they left. He should have left it in the car, but this was almost as good.

He hated them anyway.

"Come on!" He shouted above the beginning of the first song, amplifiers making the guitar and synth loud and blaring. Perfection from a cover band. He didn't care who they were singing. "You're going to dance with me."

So what if they could both be recognized? And who cared if they were two men in Japan? Some people weren't ready to see gay men anywhere but a gay bar, but Taki thought it was about fucking time they got used to it. He was sick of sitting around, moping in the closet.

Tohma had to stop Taki's path of drunken exuberance to take off his coat and drape it over a chair somewhere. How ridiculous would he have looked, dancing in a jacket like that! Horrible style.

The blond laughed as they made it out to the floor, the other drunks stumbled out, mostly women, and started dancing in ways they certainly wouldn't've if they had been sober.

Tohma picked up the beat quickly, and started moving without thought to the music. He wasn't dressed to be out doing things like this, though, it didn't really matter. Not now anyway.

If he had been any more then an inch shorter then Tohma, the world wouldn't have been ready for Taki's wrath. As it was, it was Taki who put his hands on Tohma's hips and pulled him forward keeping their bodies close together. His hips moved against Tohma's with that deep thumping base that the synth produced in abundance.

He felt good. The vodka had done its job, and he wasn't wearing that stupid jacket anymore. He never tucked in his shirts, so it was loose, and he felt more like the old him then he had in years.

Of course, the old him wouldn't have been dancing with Seguchi Tohma, or enjoying it one bit.

Mm, but the dance had been an excellent idea. He liked the way Tohma's thin hips felt through his tucked in shirt and pants. His fingers gripped to make that alone clear.

Tohma couldn't say that he expected Taki's actions, because his face had a pure look of surprise on it when his hips were jerked forward. The alcohol had really done a number on Taki. Slowly, though, he let thought fade out as he matched the dance Taki started, hips grinding against one another.

The blond rested his arms on Taki's shoulders and looked slightly down at the other man to keep their eyes together. Oh my... such a sudden rush! Who knew that this was Taki?

Pleased with the surprise on Tohma's face, Taki let a triumphant smile cross his lips as Tohma started to dance with him in earnest. Oooh, this was good. So, so good.

He didn't like to think when he danced. Thinking made him stumble. Thinking took away the buzz that was numbing his mind to the stares that had gathered from the sober beings around them. He didn't care, not a bit, because he was very, very into the grind that Tohma had started between their hips.

Someone had told him dancing was like sex. He'd objected because dancing required clothes.

Now he understood, and he had to force himself to keep from snaking a hand up to the back of Tohma's neck. He wanted a kiss, right in the middle of the dance floor, right in front of the cover band that was blasting out something vaguely familiar to him. But even he knew that a kiss would turn into something else, and that was simply too much for the public to handle.

Fucking public.

And it was so hard to resist with those wide, heated eyes staring at him.

Alcohol took a longer time to affect Tohma. He couldn't say what it was since it always depended on the persons biology, but it was working through him slowly. Sometimes it was a bad thing. It would occasionally make him feel sick, especially since he did drink more than he should to begin with. But when it acted well, it gave him a lightheaded fuzzy feeling. It felt like everything he was doing was in a weighted fog, his motions feeling slower than what they were, words he'd just spoken lost from his memory already.

Taki seemed exhilarated by the alcohol, the dancing, the music. He wondered slowly if maybe he'd had too much to drink. Well, so long as there was no really mess to clean up, Tohma figured everything would be manageable.

The dance they had started seemed to be getting a little sloppily out of hand, but it didn't seem to be bothering the two of them. Tohma didn't mind and Taki was certainly enjoying himself. The look in the other man's eye was something quite devilsh.

The blond leaned in to Taki's ear so he could speak clearly.

"I think we may have upset a few customers," Tohma said with a laugh. He noticed a few of them walking out the door.

"They should just be happy we're behaving." Taki laughed, amused with the entire situation. How many people would leave if he dragged Tohma's mouth down to his? How many people would stop to watch?

Taki wanted to try and find out, but the rational, sober part of his mind told him not to. Intoxication argued with sobriety, and Taki was left with the feeling of Tohma's body under his hands and their hips moving in time.

Behaving, indeed.

He felt loose limbed, impulsive. He was slipping his hand up to Tohma's neck, fingers curling even as he argued against himself. A-a-ah... Public. Imagine the press!

But... Kiss. He wanted a kiss. He wanted a kiss with Tohma while they were still weighed down with vodka, while their hips were moving and they didn't think about consequences.

Tohma realized Taki's intent and half of him wanted to go with it, but the other half was against it strongly. He still had to worry about press, seeing as he was married and still famous (though through other bands these days). He wasn't exactly smothered with press, though the paranoia with such things wasn't easy to get rid of.

"Taki... maybe we should move this somewhere else?" he asked before they could kiss. The limo would still be waiting, and he had an empty penthouse where they could enjoy a leisurely night.

The sober part of him won, and Taki nodded. His hand dropped away from Tohma's neck, and he took a small step back, barely enough to put distance between them. He didn't feel bad for the dance, not at all.

He'd quite enjoyed it.

And, they got to go somewhere else. Ooo, but which somewhere else? Taki's mouth was dry, and he didn't know if it was the alcohol or not. "My apartment's not far from here."

It wasn't, right in the thick of the city, instead of tucked away in the suburbias.

"Then we'll go to your place," Tohma said, letting his hands run down Taki's arms, squeezing his hands before letting go.

He was now quite interested in where Taki lived, how he lived, what his place looked like. It was almost exciting to think about, though not in the way he would've thought years back when they had been out for blood.

Tohma linked their hands together, pulling Taki along out of the place, forgetting to grab his jacket in his own slight rush to get Taki out of the public's eye.

See? A method to his madness. Taki didn't care about what was in his jacket because none of it was in his jacket anymore, and he was more than willing to let Tohma pull him out of the bar, a little more loose limbed and flighty then he had been when he had entered it.

Mm, vodka.

Outside, the limo was in sight, driver not leaning against the door and smoking, but inside and reading. Taki was glad, because it meant less time to worry about.

Before the driver had looked up enough to get out, Taki was opening the door and gesturing for Tohma to get in. He just wasn't patient enough to wait for the driver to mark his page.

Tohma just did as was motioned, slipping into the limo easily. The driver looked into the back seat, he'd lowered the visor when they had left. He left giving the directions to Taki, seeing as Tohma didn't know where he lived.

The blond looked at Taki, motioning for him to get in as well, loving the slow haze of the alcohol, though it had turned Taki into a madman. He wasn't complaining.

Giving the driver his address with a surprisingly clear voice, Taki pulled the door shut behind himself. He had always been a clear eyed, well spoken drunk. All of the alcohol went into the way he moved, and the way he thought. It made him reckless, made him walk fast and gesture with his hands more then he ever did.

It was a blissful sort of ignorance. He loved it.

The visor was rising again, and the limo began to move. Taki settled back into the seat, glancing at Tohma with his old smile on his face. The one that said he was thinking of doing something he shouldn't, and knowing full well it could get him into trouble.

It was the one that said he didn't care.

Tohma had been watching Taki while he addressed the driver, as he settled back and as he made eye contact. He had to admit that Taki was an attractive man, dark eyes and hair, slim features and build. Actually, his frame was very slender, almost feminine, without his jacket.

He just looked... adorable to Tohma. Young and flushed in the face with drink. Tohma leaned in and pressed their lips together, one hand coming up to cup Taki's face. He tasted like vodka and something else that was just unique to the other man.

There was no resistance at all as Taki gave up his mouth, welcoming the kiss as if he'd been planning it all along. He didn't let himself stay pressed into the back of the seat, though, leaning forward into the kiss and pressing Tohma back.

Alcohol always made him more demanding. It used to get him in trouble, but not now.

This was the kiss he'd been waiting for since they had pressed together on the dance floor, and he was fully intent on rebuilding that heat. His knees hit the seat on either side of Tohma's legs, hands going behind Tohma's head to grip at the seatbelts they never used.

The force Taki used had surprised him, and in his shock, Tohma let himself get pushed back into the seat as Taki leaned foward. He opened his mouth to Taki and parted the other man's lips with his tongue.

The taste was the same as before, now ten times stronger. He was feeling more intoxicated by Taki than the drinks earlier. His arms wrapped around Taki's shoulders and neck, one hand hooking onto his other wrist, pulling Taki in further.

He wondered how long the ride would actually be, and for once, prayed for a bit of traffic.

Making a low noise that was muffled in the kiss, Taki let Tohma pull him forward, pressing forward until his knees hit the back of the seats. His eyes were shut, because keeping them open seemed like a crime, and he didn't feel like being pulled over and arrested for doing something that was so against the law.

He didn't want to stop kissing Tohma.

For a panicked second, he was convinced that when the car slowed, they had reached his apartment. He let out a frustrated groan, but then they were moving again, and he realized with a brief flash of embarrassment that it had only been a stoplight.

He returned to the kiss with more fervor then before, tilting his head to make the kiss as deep as it could be, taste as much of Tohma as he possibly could while they were moving.

Tohma couldn't help but enjoy the force Taki was using against him. It was one of those certain things about him. He was always so in control of everything around him, that finally having someone take the control into their own hands was enticing.

He let his hands slip down Taki's front, fingers easily pushing open the buttons on his shirt open. Tohma nearly had the shirt almost open before his hands were already smoothing over the other man's chest.

It was going to be a long night. Probably longer if this continued any further in the car. It wouldn't stop him, but he was sure it'd be a little uncomfortable.

Taki broke the kiss, against his own protests. Tohma's hands were hot against his skin, and it made him gasp, struggle for breath. He was still so sensitive, but he loved the way it felt, loved the way it made him feel.

His face found Tohma's neck, and he pressed half formed kisses and bites to the skin that was exposed there. One of his hands slid down, the one that Tohma wasn't holding hostage to keep him close, fisting in the material of Tohma's shirt as if he were toying with the idea of just ripping it open.

Apartment, he reminded himself. In the apartment, when they had time and virtually unlimited privacy. Then he could unbutton the shirt and touch what was there waiting for him.

Tohma's heart was racing as he turned his to the side to let Taki have free reign with his neck. He felt Taki's hand fist into his shirt, and he too thought of the other man tearing it open. He wanted him to do it too.

Force was certainly a quirk Tohma enjoyed greatly.

He was breathing hard and a soft moan passed his lips. Tohma couldn't wait for the limo to finally stop so they could continue this in a better setting.

That moan alone sent a thrill through Taki, and he opened his eyes as the limo stopped. He forced himself to pull back, panting for a breath he didn't care about as he buttoned not all of the buttons on his shirt, but the important ones. The ones that could keep it closed.

Like he gave a damn if the driver knew what they'd been doing or not He'd left enough red marks on Tohma's neck to expose it if not his shirt. The marks would fade in a few hours, though, and he knew that when he saw Tohma next, the marks would be gone.

It made him sad. He wondered if he would have the time to give Tohma a mark that would really last.

It made his stomach tighten as he slipped off of Tohma's lap, listening to the sound of the driver coming to open their door. And, just like getting in, it was Tohma who was closest ot the door and had to go first.

At least there wasn't much damage to himself that Tohma had to worry about. He sat up and removed the now slightly crumpled bowler to quickly smooth out his blonde hair as the door opened. He smoothed his front, a large grouping of wrinkles where Taki had fisted his shirt unable to be wiped away, and stepped out of the limo.

He looked back to the vehicle for Taki to exit. When he did, he told the driver to go home for the night, but be at work tomorrow as usual. With a nod, he climbed back into the car and drove off, done with his shift.

If necessary, Tohma would call a taxi. If necessary.

Tohma looked gloriously rumpled with the wrinkles still in his shirt and no hat. Taki just barely kept himself from grabbing Tohma's hand, instead stepping past him to walk into the building that held his only recently cleaned apartment. Taki was not a fan of cleaning, but he had to clean it at least once a month or fear the wrath of his landlord.

That man was such a little bitch.

He dug out his keys with hands that did not want to be touching keys, unlocking the door and pushing it open. He moved far enough inside that Tohma could step in and shut the door, already pushing off his shoes without untying them.

He didn't care that much. He would deal with it in the morning.

Taki was still going full force as he breezed by. Tohma followed, smiling in a dazed manner behind Taki. He waited and stepped in to the apartment after its owner and took the time to stoop down and unlace his shoes and slip them off, shutting the door before he did so.

Placing them to the side near Taki's he looked around. It was your typical bachelor pad if you asked Tohma. It was something bizarrely exciting, as if he were reliving his own short lived bachelor days, going to another man's apartment and spending a reckless night.

Not turning the light on, Taki reached out through the half dark and grabbed Tohma's shirt again. An impatient man by nurture, he pushed himself up and pressed his mouth to Tohma's in a hard kiss. He had no reason to wait now, no reason at all.

They were in his apartment, and the door was closed. What it looked like didn't matter. Wasting time was against his laws, now that they couldn't be pulled over.

And tonight, it was his laws that mattered.

He dawdled for a moment, playing with the buttons on Tohma's shirt and unbuttoning a few, before giving into the temptation he'd had in the car and simply ripping the thing apart. It came off Tohma easily, almost too easily, and buttons scattered and snapped against the door with hard clicks.

He was taken again by Taki in such a manner that made him feel weak-kneed. Tohma loved the suffocating feeling of Taki pressing in on him, their mouths hard against each other. Again he parted his lips under Taki's, letting him take the control he obviously wanted.

If one thought about it, it would always be hard to tell who would've been more dominant in a situation like this. While Taki's outer persona was that of someone being on top in appearance and attitude, Tohma had more of a physical advantage, though a more docile attitude. When it came time for the act itself, Tohma's more basic attitude came out, as did Taki's true nature it seemed, except when he was drunk.

He felt Taki's hands roaming his chest again, playing with the buttons. He felt a little down that the slim chance of the other man fully tearing his shirt... but then Tohma heard, and felt, Taki rip away the thin, light material of his shirt. He loved it, wrapping his fingers around Taki's hips and pulling their bodies close.

One of his arms went up, hooking around Tohma's neck, elbow in the air, Taki was more then willing to press up against the other man, feeling the heat of his naked chest through the thin material of his shirt. It was so close to being unbuttoned. Just a few and it would all but come off.

He took advantage of Tohma's open mouth and thrust his tongue inside, hating the height difference between them. Dammit! One inch shouldn't have made such a difference, but it kept them from aligning properly while they stood, stopped Taki from getting the leverage he needed for the kiss he wanted.

Pulling away, he curled his fingers in Tohma's pants, the back of his fingers pressed against a tight abdomen. He tugged, leading Tohma through the living room and down the hall, into the only room in the apartment he really used.

And that was proven by the small, organized messes that littered ledges, the chair in the corner, the basket that was threatening to tip over near the closet. But he wasn't concerned about that, putting his hands on Tohma's chest and pushing him toward the bed.

Tohma groaned into the kiss, heat pressing against every part of him. He didn't feel like he could breathe. Taki was invading him from every angle, and he just could get enough.

When he felt a hand at the waist of his pants, the blond wondered exactly what Taki expected to do from there. But he was pulled along, and in somehow they managed their frenzied kiss while going to Taki's bedroom. A talent indeed.

He landed back on the bed with a soft thump, arms going behind him to try and ease the fall. He looked up at Taki with a glazed expression, and what felt like a lopsided smile. The other man hadn't look more attractive than now, domineering, flushed, panting...

Tohma leaned up, fisting Taki's shirt to pull him down into another kiss, and kept leaning back, taking the other man with him, fingers working the shirt open and off.

He hadn't counted on Tohma pulling him down, but he welcomed it. He even welcomed the kiss, though he wouldn't let Tohma take control of it without some kind of contribution.

And that contribution was the pants. His fingers fumbled with the belt as Tohma unbuttoned his shirt, and he paused long enough once he had the belt open and hanging to shrug the shirt off and push it aside. He didn't have the will to pick it up and toss it; already back to what he'd been doing before.

The pants gave up with much more ease then the belt, and he was pulling them open, tugging them off Tohma's hips. He had to break the kiss to bring them down, but it was worth it, and he pressed a string of wet kisses down Tohma's thigh.

When he heard the jingle of his belt being undone, he finally realized what Taki was doing. He felt the slight pressure as he pushed open the button, then the zipper went down. Tohma lifted his hips to help the pants come down his legs, when the kiss was broken and Tohma was left torn and disoriented, watching Taki press kisses to his thighs.

Tohma watched him, dark head moving along. He groan slightly in frustration as Taki was far away and still wearing his pants. It wasn't right. It just didn't seem normal for the moment.

The groan made him look up, mouth at the crux of Tohma's hips. If he wanted to, he could tilt his head and brush his lips over the place where Tohma's leg met the rest of his body, and he knew the skin would be soft. Silky.

He nipped at it playfully, vodka making him daring.

Really, he wanted to hear Tohma ask for it. He knew this would likely be one of the only times he would ever be able to be in this position, and he planned to live it up to the fullest. He didn't want to forget a minute of it.

After all, he hadn't had that much to drink.

There was a sharp inhale when Taki did that, and then a loud exhale mingled with a soft moan. Tohma wanted the other man to stop playing with him so much. Then again, hadn't he been teasing Taki to his fullest in his office?

"Taki," he drawled quietly, but said no more than the other man's name. He didn't want to beg. He shouldn't have to beg (still slightly in the mindset that he was somehow in control).

Though, he had to admit, the other man knew how to play the game well. Tohma, though getting frustrated, was getting worked up and excited about it as well.

Tohma earned himself a light kiss to the hard length that was easily accessible to Taki, but that was all. Taki's hands slipped over Tohma's legs, smooth and feathering. He stopped at the knees, simply holding still.

He wanted to hear it. He would keep teasing Tohma until he got what he wanted.

Taki was quite content to stay between Tohma's legs, licking and biting and teasing the man to a release. He could be patient when it came to something he wanted, something he knew he would get. So, his pants hurt him like hell, and the want to give in was close, but he wanted what he wanted.

Tohma lay back fully on the bed, shutting his eyes as his hands fisted the sheets under him in annoyance. So close to having the same mouth from what felt like ages ago on him again. He remembered how it had felt the first time, he wanted it again.

But he was waiting for something. The blond knew he must be dying by now. Patience had never been a strong point for the other man. So he was waiting on something. Tohma knew what, but he didn't want to do it.

"Taki... please," he said quietly through tight lips. It was almost unintelligible.

It made a purr of pleasure leave him, and Taki slid his hands up to Tohma's hips, gripping to hold them down. Giving the tip a catty lick, Taki had to smother his grin as he took it into his mouth.

It still felt strange to be doing this after such a long absence from the practice. But, it came back to him like he had never been gone, and he brought a hand down to wrap around the base, stroking slowly as his mouth moved over the tip.

His tongue pressed against it, around. He had to shut his eyes. It was another one of those moments where he just didn't want to have them open, and soon enough, his fingers were bumping against his lips as his mouth and hand worked together in unison.

But it was still slow, still at an agonizing pace. It wasn't that easy, no. Taki wouldn't let him off the hook just like that.

That was a low thing to do to a man. Give him what he wanted only to somehow keep him from having it still! Right now, Tohma thought Taki a horrible, horrible person.

"Damnit, Taki," he said in a breathy moan.

Tohma pushed his hips upwards, trying to urge Taki on without choking him. After all, it wasn't exactly appealing to hear your lover gag.

Taki didn't think it was appealing to hear your lover laugh, either, but he was so, so incredibly close. But, he gave Tohma the suction he was practically begging for (practically begging! That wasn't nearly close enough). His hand moved faster, hitting his lips with more force.

They wouldn't bruise. It wasn't nearly enough for that.

When it all came down to it, Taki just liked to tease. He liked to break apart defenses and keep them down, though he didn't expect Tohma's to stay grounded for long. Not even he was that good.

Tohma let out a relief filled sigh as Taki moved to his will, body slowly relaxing into it, tensing up every now and then and moaning quietly. He was good... but it was not enough.

This was certainly a different kind of rush than from before in the office. That had been hard and hot with nothing remotely between them on a social level. Everything had changed somewhere.

"I hate you," Tohma said breathily. His eyes opened to stare at the dark ceiling. "Really, really, really hate you, Taki..."

He wasn't laughing, but he couldn't keep a straight face as he let Tohma slip past his lips. Taki leaned up, pressing a kiss to the crook of Tohma's neck and biting lightly down on it. "You do not..."

The amusement was clear in his voice. Obvious and lilting. The laughter was there, just beneath the surface.

One of his hands slid down Tohma's chest, past his hips to grip at the erection he had left. It was still wet from his mouth, and his hand moved easily, grip tight.

"Hmmm..." Still that thread of teasing. Taki simply couldn't get enough of this. "Can you reach the drawer?" Moving had made his pants hurt, tighten snug up against him. It made him want to finish this more then tease Tohma. "There's a bottle in there. We need it."

He pressed a kiss to the soft spot behind Tohma's ear, teeth scraping gently over it because he couldn't get enough in his mouth to suck on.

He couldn't help it. He just loved the way Tohma tasted.

He saw the humor in Taki's movements as they stopped. Heard it in his voice. He could _hear_ the smile as the other man spoke. Bastard! Tohma wanted revenge, and he would get it. Maybe not tonight, but he would get it.

Teeth pressed against his skin, taking him by surprise and he gasped, eyes fluttering. Then a hand picked up where his mouth had left off, his hips moved into the touch slightly.

"Do too...," he groaned as he reached upwards towards the drawer on the side table. He pulled it open, fumbling around in it, things knocking around.

Eventually he was able to grab a bottle, he didn't know if it was the bottle, but it was a bottle. Tohma held it out to Taki, letting his body relax again.

Taking the bottle, Taki tsked, kissing a line down to one of Tohma's nipples. "Do you really?" Still the amusement persisted, and he took the little bit of flesh between his teeth, tongue flicking over it as he bit carefully.

He took the bottle and set it down on the bed, his hand slipping from Tohma as he undid his own pants. He had to kick them off, but it was worth it not to let his mouth leave Tohma's chest.

And now he was free of his pants, though certainly not the pain that had provided.

The bottle was back in his hand, and he pressed some out into his palm, spreading it to warm before wrapping the lubricated hand around Tohma. It moved, coating him surely, effectively, before pulling back. More lubricant was applied to his fingers, and he straightened, letting go of the nipple in his mouth.

Now, for the first time in the night, he was doing something he was unsure about. It had been a long time since he had done this to himself, and things had changed. He wasn't sure how well he would be able to stand it, but he slid his hand back regardless, bottle dropping onto the bed as he pushed a finger inside himself.

"Maybe," Tohma sighed restlessly, shifting as Taki continued playing with his body at his will.

Of course there were the small awkward things in how Taki moved that signaled he was doing something. That was only sealed by a slick hand moving over his erection. He threaded a hand through Taki's dark hair just before he moved away.

He propped himself up on his elbows to watch the other man through half lidded eyes between his legs. Tohma couldn't figure out why he wasn't letting the blond prepare him now... but his eyes widened a bit when he saw Taki's now lubricated hand disappear behind himself.

What exactly should one say to that scene? Tohma just watched in silence, lips parted. It was a bit of a shock. Taki like doing things his way and getting them done when he was intoxicated.

Taki's eyes tightened against the pain of stretching, and he'd never been able to make it quite as enjoyable for himself as other people did. Still, it was obvious by his heavy breathing and movements that he loved the way it felt, one finger soon turning into two, spreading apart and making him wince.

But it was not in his nature to regret doing something. Not when he was like this. So, he simply pressed a hand to Tohma's chest, both to keep him down and to ground himself, and his fingers curled into a fist on the skin as he moved along.

His own fingers twisted as he added a third, and Taki moaned as his body tightened.

Tohma continued to stare, Taki's hand leaning harder against his chest to keep himself up. He did look more than beautiful like that; Back arched, body trying to figure out which way to move, eye shut, mouth open... beautiful.

The blond placed a hand over the fist on his chest, just watching, almost holding his breath. It felt like his head was swimming (with alcohol or lust was beyond him), his eyes felt heavy, but his body felt wide awake.

Ooh, god, he couldn't breathe. Taki gasped, struggled for breath as he moved his fingers impatiently. The abrupt movements hurt, stretched muscle ruthlessly. It felt as if he weren't making any progress at all, but he knew that was normal.

It never felt like much of anything until there was someone in him to finish the stretching that had just barely begun.

But that was enough, and he pulled his fingers free, moving to straddle Tohma's hips. He reached behind him again to angle Tohma in the right direction before pressing down, his head falling forward as he panted heavily.

It was slow, and Taki took his time in working himself down, finally bracing both of his hands on Tohma's chest and feeling completely filled.

Taki was panting hard, hand working tirelessly. His wrist must have ached from the angle, no less his body. But he seemed to grow impatient again, soon slipping his fingers out and then hovering over Tohma's body. The blond looked back, feeling as though he was in slow motion and this was going far too fast.

Taki was in total control as he slowly lowered himself down. The self stretching didn't go far enough considering how awkward it was in the position, and to Tohma, he seemed far tighter than before.

Tohma was breathing as heavy as Taki's as he finally was completely impaled on the blonde's length. His hands moved to grip Taki's hips, slender fingers tight. He was so hot, so tight; it was so hard to breathe, as if he could feel it everywhere and not just where it was happening.

This was not his first time, not by a long shot, but Taki still gasped, still hissed as the muscles he'd been too impatient to take real care of stretched and throbbed. He took a shuddering breath and raised his head to look at Tohma; hand shifting as he slowly brought himself up.

He bit hard at the inside of his cheek to keep himself from making a pained noise, pushing himself back down onto Tohma again. It was a simple, easy rhythm, and he adopted it as his own without realizing it.

Even though it hurt, even though he should have taken the time to stretch himself appropriately, he hadn't felt so filled in longer than he could remember. He loved it this way, shifting his hips to angle Tohma in just the right position. And there it was!

When he pressed down again, his gasp was strangled, caught up in a groan. His body tightened noticeably, muscles shuddering from the rush of sensation.

Unable to help himself as his fingers pressed tighter into Taki's hips. Tohma groaned, hips pushing up into the other man as he came down, unable to lay still and let Taki do all the work. He looked up at Taki as they moved together, and when the other man found the right angle, the blond worked with him to keep hitting it.

Inside Taki, the muscle was twitching and pulsing around him, and it was wonderful. The halfhearted stretching made the other man feel much tighter than ever, and Tohma couldn't figure out how it was possible.

His eyes were half lidded, but he tried his damnedest to keep them open and looking at Taki. His face was a contortion of twitching muscles and fighting pleasures and pain all at once.

Taki was gasping, pushing himself down onto Tohma at a faster pace then before as Tohma made the press against him steady. Tohma's fingers were tight on his hips, and he wouldn't be at all surprised if he was left with small, almost unnoticeable bruises when Tohma moved. But, for now, he didn't care, pushing himself up again.

The bed was creaking, his movements helped along by the shift and give of the mattress. They weren't bumping the headboard against the wall yet, but he was sure it was only a matter of time.

Tohma always made him feel like this. As if his skin were flaming, and the only way to put out that fire was to push them as hard and as fast as he possibly could.

Oh, just the small things about Taki and his actions were becoming more and more apparent. The way he made small noises every time he came down, the way he exhaled deeply as he rose up. It was beautiful, the way the bed shook, and his skin vibrated, every nerve alive.

Nothing was better than moments like these.

As Taki sped up, Tohma tried his best to keep up. It was difficult since he was on the bottom, so he had far less leverage, but he tried, legs shifting restlessly from the pleasure. He took one of his hands off of Taki's hips; he felt his fingertips stick slightly as he removed them.

He wrapped his hand around Taki's erection (this time without any teasing looks), and started an awkward thrusting motion.

Hand... Oooh, Taki was helpless now, loosing the rhythm to the erratic movements his body needed to finish. He was moving with the sole purpose of release now, pushing down hard and pulling up fast. His arms were shaking from the effort of keeping himself up, and he was moaning without thought of what could come out of his mouth.

When the climax hit him, it was hard. He pushed himself down hard enough that his entire body throbbed, and distantly, he knew he would be sore later. But it was too late for him to change it, body releasing in a rush he couldn't control.

Like Tohma had noted before; watching his lovers had always been his preference. And Taki had somehow reached the state of utter perfection in Tohma's mind. Somehow the look of almost anguish as the other man stopped entirely. The mask of his face suddenly broke, shatter and letting loose the full out relief he felt from the pleasure as Tohma's hand became coated in the viscous white fluid, along with the warm spatters hitting his chest and chin.

How had Taki gained such detailed recognition from the blond? Tohma didn't know, and at the moment, the thought didn't cross his mind as the contracting muscles gripped and held tight as the other man rode out the wave of internal pleasure, and Tohma soon joined him.

Tohma's body tightened and his muscles locked, releasing with a deep moan of Taki's name. It was the greater elation his body had felt, and his mind was pleasantly wiped clean with the force and pleasure

It was normal for Taki to get so wrapped up in what he was feeling, the way everything felt, that he never got the chance to watch. He had already given himself over to the way things felt, but when Tohma finished, he sucked in a sharp breath. It was hot inside of him, making him sit up straight and raise his head to watch Tohma's face.

He hadn't paid attention to it before, and the way his name fell off Tohma's lips made him shiver. It wasn't the vodka that was fast leaving his system that made him lean down, pressing his lips to Tohma's in a slow, sated kiss.

Panting, Tohma's body came down from the jolting shock of his orgasm, and his mind and body were buzzing happily. He felt a tired smile come over his lips, but they were soon covered by Taki's.

It felt good, the kiss. Like getting out of a pool on a hot day cool and relaxed. Tohma did just that, exhaling pleasantly out of his nose, holding Taki in place still on top of him, though his own arousal was now softening.

Taki was more dependent on kisses and soft touches then he would have liked to admit. He didn't try to deepen the kiss, just left it as it was, pulling his hips up and forward to let Tohma slip out of him.

Mindless of the mess, he broke the soft kiss and let himself stretch out on top of Tohma. He was too comfortable to move, and Tohma was warm under him, whereas he knew the bed was cold. His eyes were shut, and he had his head resting on the bare shoulder that was only inches from the cold blanket.

It didn't seem to bother him that this was his boss. He knew, and with a flash of anxiety, he knew he should move. But he didn't want to, and he dreaded the minute when Tohma shifted onto his side.

He didn't want to move. He would rather stay on top of Tohma like this forever then move onto the bed.

He didn't fight Taki adjusting himself more comfortably. Being comfortable and warm was important. That half assed thought made some sort of sense to the blond somewhere. Either way, Tohma didn't complain as Taki relaxed on top of him. He actually welcomed it.

He wrapped his arms loosely around Taki's waist, humming lightly as he exhaled in a content manner. He was calm, he was happy, he was comfortable. Nothing could ruin this. Though, he was getting tired.

Tohma didn't know what was so lulling about Taki. It made him want to push the other man away and resume what they once were before all this, and give in completely to the mind numbing peace that was the living blanket atop him called Taki.

"May I spend the night, Taki?" he asked quietly, a little teasingly as well. They both knew he would be spending the night from the time Tohma had asked Taki out to the dinner they never had.

"Mmhm..." Taki didn't open his eyes, and the only movement he made was to reach out and fist a hand in the blanket, pulling it over them.

He'd been right. It was cold, but he didn't regret pulling it on top. He was still warm because Tohma was under him, and he was more then content to stay this way.

He wasn't moving until morning came and he had to take a shower. Taki was simply too comfortable to think about it, and when he was this comfortable, he turned into a sloth. That was really the only way to describe it. He missed the days when he could sleep all day and not wake up until he had to.

Now he was waking up before he had to, so he could wake up everyone else. He was absolutely disgusted with himself.

When the blanket covered them, Tohma's eyes widened slightly in surprise. The shadowed veil chilled the air around them slightly, but he continued not to move. All of him was relaxed, and he felt able to fight off the itch of being clean at least until they'd both gotten a few hours of sleep.

Tohma closed his eyes, stirring around just slightly before letting himself start to relax into sleep. His chest rose and fell deeper and deeper until the darkness claimed all of his senses, happy to be drifting off so comfortably.

Tohma was breathing slowly under him, and it was soothing. He could hear the other man's heartbeat through his chest, strong and steady. Before he'd realized it, that strong beat turned into something else.

_Author's Notes: There you have it. A little dash of smut to brighten your day! I've been thinking on something. A lot of times, and we're even guilty of this, we try to put into actual words the noises made during sex. I for one have realized that it is silly and hard. I make myself laugh when reread Kenji and Haido's first scene. I like trying to have conversations during the sex. Like, the normal kind that would be had in real life during those moments. Let's be honest folks, it's not all silence and heavy breathing._

_This scene was cute to me, because Tohma reminded me of myself. When I get teased during, that's exactly what I say without trying to give in. I'm not sure how it was for Kel. I really will have to try and get her to do an A/N. If not now, for the later chapters near the end. I'd like her to have one for almost every chapter then, because there was so much drama and fun!_

_Anyways, I hope everyone has a great day!_

_Drop us a line!_

_SL_


	41. Chapter 41

_Disclaimer: Not ours!_

_Author's Notes: Good morning and good news everyone! When I went to my high school teacher, she gave me an over the phone reference right then and there for a daycare just up the road from the school instead of in the next town over. They're desperate for help, and they said I'd most likely get a call back today or tomorrow. I'm excited!_

_Also, sorry again about the second update. I was running around trying to get everything done before my family came back from Vegas and passed out early in the process. I think I'll be able to get it done this time though._

_Enjoy!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Forty-One_

Footsteps on concrete as he ran, slamming into the ground and making his joints ache with the force. He could practically feel the envelope in his hand, the air burning his throat as he tried to breathe and run at the same time.

At the empty intersection, he had to stop. He braced his hands on his knees as he panted the white paper of the envelope stark and crumpled in the light from the street lamp. It was a soft, familiar voice that made him jerk his head up, words unintelligible to him now.

His eyes widened when he recognized the smile, the eyes, and the way he walked. Taki's heart leapt to his throat, and he tried to struggle against it, tried to breathe.

But, he was having none of it, and that hand... he knew how that hand felt! He knew the skin texture, the slender fingers that worked so well... He knew what they did, how they worked.

He knew how they felt when they pushed him back. His foot slipped off the curb, and he fell hard into the street. The envelope was still gripped tightly in his hand, but he threw the other out to break his fall. It scraped against the pavement, and always weak when it came to bloody pain, Taki jerked his hand up to his chest.

He slammed on his side, and the car lights blinded him. Panic! He tried to move, scramble away, but those tires were tearing against his legs, and the light wouldn't go away. It was bright, white and painful against his eyelids as he shook his head, trying to find some dark place to hide his face.

Voices now. Quiet, murmuring voices and the sound of a pen scratching across the paper. He couldn't make out what was being said, couldn't think...

He tried to move, tried to roll over and get up, out of the bed that had railing on both sides.

He couldn't move! The panic was thick in his throat, and he couldn't breathe as he snapped his eyes open, still trying to move. Any movement!

With a shocked, gasping breath, he realized he wasn't seeing white light. He wasn't seeing light at all. It was the absence of light. Dark. He was warm, his head under the blankets, and he let out a sigh of relief.

Just a dream.

He tried to roll over, shift and pull a leg up, and dread settled over him in a cold wave as he realized he couldn't. Breathing was difficult again, but it wasn't just panic, now. It was the tears he'd never let himself shed that sprang to the back of his eyes and clogged his throat.

During the course of their sleep, they had of course shifted and moved, actually parting ways and laying side my side. Tohma was facing Taki on his side, curled up with an arm draped across his chest. That's what told him something was wrong.

Besides the infernal shifting and twitching that rocked the bed, making it rock the darkness of his sleep like a boat lost in a storm at sea, he felt Taki's breathing change. He was halfway to being conscience from Taki's moving, and now as his arm rose and fell rapidly, he opened his eyes very slowly.

Nothing but pulsating darkness. Tohma thought he heard a sniffle or something that just sent the signal _crying_ to his mind. The darkness shifted into recognizable shapes, one of them being Taki looking in total shock, fear and just plain misery.

Tohma moved slow, propping himself up on an elbow; he looked over at the other man with a mixture of sleep, curiosity and very faint annoyance.

"Taki," he said quietly. It was night and they were in a bedroom. Of course he was going to be quiet. "Taki, what's the matter with you? Are you feeling well?"

"No..." Taki's voice was choked, and he swallowed hard. "Tohma, I can't move." Said slowly, because irrationally, he hoped that if he spoke slowly, it would disappear before he was finished.

When it didn't, he felt the panic seize at him again, grab hold and make his breathing choppy.

To anyone but him, not being able to move would have been something to be wondered over and solved. Maybe a limb had fallen asleep, or there was something holding it down... But for Taki? Not being able to move was like not being able to breathe. He'd spent too much of his life stationary to stay calm when he was forced into it again.

Breathe. Taki struggled with himself, but he couldn't do it. He didn't want to feel the tears that were undoubtedly on his face now, and he shut his eyes against them and Tohma's face.

He didn't want to see it, or feel it, he just wanted to move.

Couldn't move?

"What? All of you?" Tohma asked, wondering if his entire body was paralyzed, or some specific part, or... well, something not so vague.

Ok, well, so Taki couldn't move, whether it is all of him or part of him. Could he still feel? Tohma placed a hand on his chest, asking Taki to tell him when he couldn't feel his touch, if it happened.

His hands went down Taki's arms, and over his chest, then past his waist and over his upper thighs. None of his movements were teasing in a sexual manner; they held purpose and were all business.

"Legs." Taki managed to gasp, shuddering. He could feel Tohma's touch without a problem, but he couldn't move his legs into it. It felt as if everything but the nerves had been disconnected, and he was floundering with nothing to stand on.

Surely Tohma had to understand. He had to! Taki took a deep, shuddering breath. This could be temporary, he told himself. Maybe... maybe if he went back to sleep, when he woke up, he'd be able to move.

But he knew that was a stupid idea. If he couldn't move now, what good would sleep do him? He'd told himself that every night for years. When you wake up, you'll move. It had never been true, and it was far more likely that he was just deluding himself into some sense of false optimism.

Legs... Tohma's hands paused, hesitating and hovering over Taki's body before moving away. Legs. Taki's legs had been run over. Taki had gone through two years of recuperation. Taki had a hard time remembering that his legs, though not weak, did need more care than other people's legs.

But why was all that? Because of Tohma, though technically, it ran back to Taki. Like water in a stream it all kept flowing.

"What do you want me to do?" the blond asked evenly, sitting up with Taki. "Is there anything I can do?"

Deep breaths. Taki hated crying, because it made it hard to breathe, and breathing was the only thing that had ever calmed him down. He took slow breaths, because that was the only way to get the air in.

Tohma's question made him laugh wetly. "I don't know." God, he didn't know.

Using his arms, Taki pushed himself up. He could feel the blankets move against his legs, catch on his feet, but he couldn't move them to unhook the blankets. When it came down to it, he just didn't care. He pressed the heels of his hands hard to his eyes, still taking deep, hiccupping breaths.

Shock, trauma, therapy, medication, white... It was all blurring to him now. He'd spent so long shoving it from his memory that he couldn't remember it now that he needed to. They'd said something about it, they had to have, but he hadn't been paying attention.

Taki wanted to beat his head through a wall, but all that happened was fresh tears leaking out onto his hands.

The other man was crying right before him, though grudgingly, and Tohma, one who kept his cool constantly, was left only looking on with a hard, yet bored expression. It wasn't that he didn't care; he just was at a loss for what to do.

Finally, he inched closer to the other man and wrapped his arms around his shoulders, pulling Taki into a hug, their bodies close. He didn't want to seem overly emotional, but he didn't want to be uncaring.

"Taki, it'll be fine... did you have a nightmare?" Tohma asked, hugging the other man.

It would be fine? Fine? Taki wanted to sink against Tohma and push him away at the same time. In the end, he let Tohma move him because there was nothing else he could do.

And that stupid question. That fucking... Ugh! A nightmare. He felt like such a child, face wet while he hiccupped. All he needed now as a pair of onesies pajamas and a teddy bear, and the image would be perfect.

"Yeah..." He finally answered, wiping at his eyes in frustration. "I don't remember falling asleep, but..." He shrugged, swallowing hard over the last block in his throat.

Fine. Fuck, what kind of shit was that? Fine. Ha! How could it possibly be 'fine' if he couldn't move?

He'd love to give Tohma a new definition of 'fine,' but he was relaxing too much into the embrace to let himself. He hadn't even noticed he'd done it, but his arms wrapped around Tohma's shoulders, and his eyes shut, face close to the other man's neck.

Dammit.

He felt Taki relax, and Tohma rubbed his back soothingly. The other man was certainly upset over something. So much so that it had affected him physically. There was a psychological term for things like this, actually. It was in the same family as Hypochondria.

"Would you like to tell me about it?" he asked politely. After all, he was no long term lover. Tohma was merely a guest for a night with a host who'd seemingly gone bonkers.

Taki had every right to refuse him, or to push him away. It was his fault things were like this anyway.

"Why bother?" Taki asked, stifling a sigh. "You were there." He refrained from describing in detail, just to make Tohma feel like shit. He didn't think it actually would, and that was the problem. All that would come out of it was him making himself feel sick.

He hated remembering that night, and now he hated dreaming about it.

How many nights could a human being go without sleep and not die? He thought it was six, but he couldn't remember. So, that gave him at least five nights of not sleeping to ensure that he wouldn't have the dream for a work week.

But what about the sixth night? If he went to bed then, it would undoubtedly come back.

Tohma froze for a brief second, before remembering to breathe. He knew he wouldn't apologize, in his heart he knew he couldn't. He was protecting the one he loved dearly, and his punishment had seemed just.

The blond couldn't think of being wrong with something so drastic.

"Taki... has this happened before?" Tohma asked softly, keeping himself close to the other man.

Shaking his head, Taki fisted his hands in the blanket that still covered his legs. "I've had the dream before, sure..." How couldn't he? "But this had never happened before, no."

He didn't understand why it was happening now. It couldn't possibly be Tohma's reentrance into his life. It would have happened earlier, and there would have been no one there to calm him down.

And he was feeling calmer, glad Tohma was near him and not pulling away.

"Would you like me to take you to a hospital?" Tohma asked, still trying his best to keep out any inner turmoil.

Maybe he could sleep it off, or possibly there really _was_ something wrong with his legs. From the obvious, Taki had left his recuperation early, which meant he rushed through to get himself in shape again. Maybe a relapse?

Something was amiss. He didn't know if he could fix it or not, but he would certainly try if he was allowed.

The hospital. Taki's first instinct was to say no, reject the very idea of a hospital. He hated them. Hated the smell, the walls, the people, their needles and their machines. He hated the tests, the analyses, the plastic gloves that the doctors always wore.

He hated all of it.

But he nodded slowly, because when he thought about it with a rational mind, he knew that was the only way to really know what was wrong. "Yeah..." Even with his mind made up, there was obvious self loathing in his voice.

He couldn't believe he was submitting himself to this again.

"Alright," Tohma agreed, slowly letting go of Taki. "Let me get dressed first, and then I'll help you."

He dressed quickly, throwing on his pants and shirt, not caring to look for his tie or gloves or anything than the bare necessities after that, he rummaged through Taki's drawers, pulling out pants and a shirt for the other man.

"Here, you do the top, I'll do the bottom," Tohma said with a wry smile. Yes, a bad pun, maybe. The blond removed the covers from Taki and carefully started to put the pants on him, easing them up slowly.

"Tell me if I hurt anything."

The shirt was easy, and Taki felt like such a fool as he buttoned it. Tohma was putting on his pants for him, and it made him feel like a child all over again. Only, this was worse. He couldn't move to help, he couldn't protest and do it himself; he had to sit and accept it because he couldn't do anything else.

"That's fine." Taki said when Tohma got the pants up past his hips, buttoning them himself. He was determined to at least do something.

He hated this.

"Just let me call a cab," Tohma said, searching for his phone. Finding it, he auto-dialed the number and gave the directions, and hung up.

Walking back over to the bed, he sat on the edge next to Taki, sighing quietly. What to say now? There really wasn't much to be said between them, and now, after what had happened this night... Tohma doubted it would be happening again.

It was obvious he was the cause of this.

"They said that the cab will be here in ten minutes," the blonde eventually said.

In a few of those minutes, he'd be lifting up Taki to take him out to go meet the cab. This wasn't so serious that an ambulance needed to be called. Unless Taki objected, to which he would call one.

Taki nodded, wishing he could pull his legs up to his chest and hide. But, he couldn't, and they stayed stubbornly on the bed as they had since he'd woken up.

His mind was swimming with possibilities. What if there was no recovery this time? What if he had to stay in the hospital because he couldn't move? What if it spread? These things weren't supposed to happen twice.

They weren't.

And what would Tohma do if he couldn't move anymore? Certainly, you couldn't keep a lover who couldn't take you. It just couldn't be expected, and if they could solve this... Would Tohma want him again anyway?

Would he want Tohma?

The questions burned at his mind, made him feel sick. He didn't no, not about what was wrong, what to do with it, or what could happen because of it. But there was some part of him, some small, suppressed part, that didn't want to let go of Tohma, no matter what happened.

It was that part he tried to ignore.

Tohma sighed slightly, running a hand through his hair before getting up again and turning to face the bed. He felt awkward about this, but it had to be done unless Taki could miraculously walk again.

"I'm sorry if this makes you feel uncomfortable, but bare with me for now," the blond said, slipping one arm under Taki's knees and the other behind his back, lifting with a soft grunt.

"I'm going to put you on the couch so I can put my shoes on, I'll help you with yours," he said, walking out of the bedroom and into the living room, setting the other man down on the couch. He went to the door and brought Taki's over first, kneeling down to untie them and slip them on Taki's feet, then retie them. He went back to put on his shoes.

Tohma opened the door in time to see the cab pull up where directed.

"Time to go," he sighed, going back and picking Taki up again and nudging the door open with his foot, turning and asking Taki to close it for him.

All of this kept his mind off the obvious questions plaguing him.

Pushing the door shut, Taki tried hard to keep himself from feeling like a fool. But he couldn't help it, not at all. Tohma was carrying him - literally carrying him - from his own apartment. It was just too much for his sore pride, and his hate for the entire situation grew.

He knew he should be at least a little thankful. Tohma didn't have to be doing this for him, after all. He could have just laughed and waved as he left instead of calming him down, helping him get dressed, and helping him into the car.

Taki knew himself. He would have tried to do it on his own if Tohma hadn't been there. But, even though he knew he should say something, some word of thanks... He didn't open his mouth, just held onto Tohma's shoulders.

Tohma jerked his head at the driver to get out and help. The squat old man did so grudgingly, muttering obscene things under his breath. The blonde wanted to kick him, though he knew he wouldn't. He thanked the man politely and placed Taki into the back of the cab, shutting the door. Walking around, he got in on his side and directed the driver to the nearest hospital.

"Since we have a week of waiting to do for our lead singer, I don't want you to worry about work at all, Taki," Tohma said, not knowing what else to say.

Would it be weird to ask if they should even consider seeing each other again? Should they terminate the contract they had now and just revert back to the old one?

And now there was nothing but silence before the hustle and bustle of the hospital waiting room. Well... he'd get a few strings pulled to fix that. Tohma did not want to sit in one germ infested area for too long. The rooms were sterilized at least. And his eyes widened slightly and he realized why the old driver had been so obscene. He tried to discretely moisten his thumb and wipe as his chin, wince slightly in embarrassment as he came across the dried come from earlier.

Ugh. What a way to start the night... erm, day.

"Shut up." It wasn't angry, to Taki's surprise. He certainly felt angry, but it was all directed at himself. He leaned against Tohma and squinted at the dried mess, then shot a glare toward the driver.

Fucking bastard.

Pulling the cuff of his shirt down, Taki pressed it to his tongue until it was damp, then began to clean off Tohma's jaw and neck. He didn't want to deal with more of that shit that he had to, and they'd already gotten enough from the driver.

Besides, he wanted to ruin this shirt. He hated it. A gift from his mother.

He knew what was waiting for him at the hospital. A waiting room, more murmuring, and a nurse attendant who would pass him to a nurse, then a doctor. Paperwork, after that, and depending on how bad it was, staying overnight. He didn't want it to be that bad, but the entire process would take hours regardless.

Tohma blinked, hand pausing in trying to clean himself up. Taki had told him to shut up, though he couldn't figure out why in the least. Had he hit a nerve? The other man hadn't sounded angry.

Then there was a firm press of damp cloth against his jaw and chin. Only his eyes looked over, watching Taki clean him up with his shirt. Then again, he wasn't supposed to say anything, so he just sat there waiting until he was finished.

"Thank you," Tohma said quietly with a nod. But he didn't think to say anything else afterwards.

"You're welcome." Taki couldn't shift himself up to lean against the door and look out the window, so he stayed against Tohma, arms crossed loosely. He was still glaring at the back of the driver's head, because it made him feel a little better to be mad at someone besides himself.

They were pulling up to the hospital, though Taki didn't remember giving the driver a place to go. He decided he didn't care, heart leaping into his throat at the sight of the white building in the dark.

Tohma looked out the window, figuring out which one it was quickly (being with Ryuichi for most of his life had caused him to become quite acquainted with most facilities). He pulled his phone out again, telling the driver to wait. It would be worth it if he did. The old man snorted in disgust. Tohma kept his eyes steady though his fingers tightened just so around the slim phone pressed to his ear.

He spoke quietly for a few minutes, and then hung up, and sat in the back seat next to Taki without saying a word. Then there was a tap at Tohma's side and he got out, motioning around to the other side. A nurse with a wheelchair came around and Tohma followed to help ease Taki into the chair. The blond paid the driver far more than he deserved and thanked him politely as well.

No one could ever say that Tohma was not a gentleman.

"I figured this would be easier for both of us than having me carry you in, Taki," Tohma said quietly, almost as if to himself. Taki's pride had been injured before, no need to do it publicly.

A wheelchair was better then being carried in, and Taki nodded his thanks at Tohma. He still hated this, hated the entire situation, but he wasn't quite ready to offer himself up on the alter of humility.

He'd never been any good at it.

He was wheeled into the hospital, but he refused to look at it. He kept his eyes on his lap, fingers spread out over his thighs. He didn't want to see those walls, or the grim faces they were passing. He didn't want to know he was back inside a building he had promised himself he would stay out of, but the smell was enough to convince him he was there.

If Taki thought he was having a hard time dealing with the hospital, he had no idea what Tohma was going through. He finally realized now how stupid it had been to disregard putting his gloves on. If only he'd taken a minute more to just find them!

His hands were bare and he could feel the dry, humid, stale reek of disease everywhere in the place. Clinging. And his hands could touch anything and become contaminated and transfer it out of the hospital. What if he went to work and touched his desk and let a... a... an Ebola virus loose? And then what if it touched a paper, and then the paper touched his secretary, and from there... the thoughts were endless.

The nurse wheeled Taki into the large room filled with beds that had curtains to close for privacy. No examining rooms. Just one large room. He quietly asked the nurse to show him to the bathrooms, excusing himself from Taki for a good ten minutes before returning hands washed, dried and wearing latex gloves (given to him by the nurse at request. Such a nice woman). Now, if he could just stop himself from breathing... the air tasted horrible. He could feel the thick germs flowing in with every breath...

He had to stop before he went mad.

Tohma took up a tissue, wiping down a chair placed in the small 'room', next to the bed where Taki would surely be placed once the doctor came to check him out. The blond told the nurse not to rush the doctor, but that didn't stop him from giving her a little motivation to try and do so anyway.

_Author's Notes: Dun dun duuuuuuuuun! Who saw this coming?! We didn't when we wrote it! You won't expect what's coming next either. Scout's Honor. On another good note, Kel has had some time to get back into the swing of things, and as I type this, she's currently writing a reply to our sequel. We've been working on it since late last night. _

_Right now, it's quite hilarious. It has a serious note through out it, but me being the comedian I am, and Taki being a perfect drama queen sets it up just right so that we amuse ourselves with it. Kel and I? We're like this. Yeah, you can't see the motion I'm doing, but it indicates that we're totally on the same page. XD_

_Drop us a line!_

_SL_


	42. Chapter 42

_Disclaimer: Whee!_

_Author's Notes: Look, I actually did a second update today! WOO! And I have more great awesome news! More? How is this possible!?_

_The daycare called me back for an interview on Friday. I'm so excited. Fingers crossed guys! I loved this little daycare. I don't like how they seem to reach their breaking point and shout, but I don't have to be like that with the kids._

_So, here we are at tense and drama filled moment in the story. As if there haven't been enough, right? I liked this scene a lot, because Tohma started getting confusing at this point. It seems like he starts becoming a high school girl. We want our partners to know exactly what we want without telling them directly. So, just like in real life, Tohma's thoughts aren't going to reflect in his words._

_With that in mind, enjoy!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Forty-Two_

It could have been hilarious. Not hours before, Taki would have laughed at the sight of Tohma's obvious panic. It was in the way he moved his eyes, how his fingers twitched, but Taki wasn't paying attention to them.

He could only stare down at his legs, and hate. It was almost physical, lodging in his throat and choking him. Clogging his chest and making his fingers curl into fists.

Taki only glanced up when Tohma came back from the bathroom, catching sight of the gloves first. His eyes flicked up to Tohma's face, and he was speaking before he realized what he was saying. "Are you alright?"

He didn't know what possessed him to ask, but maybe it would be easier to ignore his own discomfort if he concentrated on Tohma. Because certainly he didn't care if Tohma was alright. It didn't matter to him a bit. No, not at all.

Tohma looked up and gave Taki a small smile as he made sure to sit on the very edge of the chair without falling over. Disgusting, polluted, confining. The blond could feel the powdery residue in the gloves cling to his fingers. He flexed them stiffly and he heard them squeak quietly.

"I'm fine, Taki," he assured the other man. "More importantly, how are you doing? Any better?"

Part of him was hoping that Taki would get up and walk so badly, that he could feel the urge to sweat. Another part wanted to know what was seriously wrong with the other man, if it was worrisome. After all, this wasn't normal.

"I don't know." Taki admitted, shifting his gaze away from Tohma again. He couldn't tell the difference. He was so desperate for a change in condition that he was latching onto anything that trailed across his path, but he couldn't tell if they were real or not and always dismissed them as fake.

He wasn't one to get his hopes up without cause.

A nurse stepped into the room but didn't linger, letting them know that a doctor would be with them shortly. Taki was fidgeting, hands picking at his pants without cause.

Tohma said nothing, only nodded at Taki, though taking the time to thank the nurse. There wasn't much to do, except wait. At least he could look patient on the outside, though he only wanted to get out as soon as possible.

Finally the doctor came in, a man who reached about Tohma's shoulder with short, black hair and squinty eyes hidden behind thick glasses. He looked to be in his mid forties, the lines on his face seeming deep.

"Ah, Seguchi-san?" he asked, turning around to close the curtains around the small area, creating a room. Tohma nodded and stood to greet him.

"Hello, I'm doctor Katsu," he said with a nod. He flipped through a few papers, though Tohma hadn't filled out any. "I'm sorry, but I was only given a name and told where to go."

"Yes, my fault entirely," the blond said. "My friend here woke up earlier this evening with his legs paralyzed. Two years previous, he was in a fairly bad accident with a car, and his legs were damaged. I'm thinking there may be some correlation."

The doctor looked Taki over curiously before addressing him.

"Mister..."

"Aizawa," Tohma filled in.

"Mr. Aizawa, I'll have some nurses in here to help undress and settle you in. If you could give me the name of the doctor that would have your last records, I'll be able to get started."

Fairly bad accident? Friend? Damaged? Taki felt as if they were speaking about someone else, and he was more than willing to let them have at it. What did he care, if they were talking about someone else?

He sounded like a poor bastard.

It was a short lived comfort, because an expectant silence had fallen, and Taki looked up to see Katsu's eyes on him. Obviously waiting for the answer to his question.

Taki had to backtrack to remember what had been said. "Koruda." He answered at length, a flashing image of the light hair and bright smile blinding him for a moment. He remembered Koruda, especially the nurse conversations.

Full blood Japanese, they said, but born and raised in America. All accompanied with twitters and giggles and finally, the pill that was supposed to put him to sleep. He hadn't seen anything entirely special in Koruda. He hadn't liked him much.

"Koruda," Katsu repeated for memory, scribbling it down just in case. "Alright. I'll have two nurses in here in a few minutes. I'll return once I have all the details I need."

"Thank you doctor," Tohma said with another nod, taking his seat again, not any more comfortable than he was five minutes ago. He looked over at Taki, who seemed on the verge of a mood.

"Is everything alright, Taki?" he asked, lacing his hands together. The gloves stuck slightly together.

Taki waited until Katsu had left, probably to go call Koruda and get his files, before he shrugged. Was everything alright? Of course it wasn't.

What a stupid fucking question.

He tilted his head back to give Tohma a look that said, "You don't really want an honest answer, do you?" Because Taki could give an honest answer, but he was sure that wasn't what Tohma wanted to hear. It wouldn't be anything he hadn't already heard, of course, but Taki had a few choice phrases he would throw in.

You know, just for fun.

"You know you can be as honest as you'd like, Taki," Tohma said with a nod, looking serious.

The blond didn't care what Taki had to say be lie or dead truth. The other man would never get over the past (and he wasn't asking him to) and this was yet another connection to it, and he was most likely going to get the blame.

"Because there's nothing you can say, that will make me get up and leave this room. Unless, of course, that's what you'd rather. Rest assured, I can have your transportation taken care of if you'd rather my company be elsewhere," Tohma said, feeling edgy He half hoped Taki would let him go.

Taki shrugged, like he didn't care. He wasn't going to give Tohma's question a real answer. It took too much energy to say it all, and the words would fall on deaf ears. It was a waste of breath, and Taki wasn't into waste.

"You're a grown man," He pointed out. "You can do whatever the fuck you want."

A translation from Taki-speech would mean that Tohma could leave if he wanted to. Taki didn't care.

After all, who was he to try to hold back THE Seguchi Tohma?

He wished he could stand just so he could beat his head into the wall.

"I see," Tohma said quietly.

Apparently his thoughts before this trip to the hospital had been correct. It seemed as though this would never be happening again between them. So be it. It was just one more short lived fling in Tohma's book.

The blond rose from his seat, unable to help wiping at the back of his pants.

"I'll have my driver waiting for when you're release. Come back to work whenever you feel ready enough, make sure they bill me, and if you're not back to work by the time the week is up, and Kenji has not returned, I'll inform you," Tohma said with a curt nod, leaving just as the two nurses had entered to help prepare Taki for getting checked out.

He exited the hospital, taking in a sharp, deep breath of cool air that tasted clean and sweet compared to the closed in and diseased hospital air. Tohma called up his driver, apologizing for waking him and asked him to come by to pick him up, then do him the favor of waiting for his nightly guest.

Soon he was back home and peeling off the now moist latex gloves, throwing them away and taking a shower, washing away everything from that night. He dressed for bed, slipping into it, pulling out an extra pair of gloves and letting them sit on his bedside table for the morning.

_Author's Notes: Whee! I'm getting a wee bit sleepy, so I'm a wee bit loopy. I'm thinking it might be nap time after this even though that means I might miss the small window of opportunity to catch Kel and get on some more work done. I may just take that chance, and hopefully, when I get up, she'll have left a reply for me to work with. _

_Either way, this chapter. Tohma and Taki are complex. Real. Like I said, their thoughts don't completely flow with their speech. I see, a lot of times, that people write their characters thought and details that lead them towards asking the same thing out loud. It's good, and it's like that. A lot of the time, I'm like this. If I don't want to say something, I don't. I'm not sure about Kel. Thoughts are personal and branch off in so many ways, and that's hard to grasp. I don't know of anyone who was ever able to capture that completely. Anyways, I think it was a good chapter. A defining chapter._

_Tell us what you guys think!_

_SL_


	43. Chapter 43

_Disclaimer: Bleh._

_Author's Notes: Good morning all. Today may be a little more crazy than I had planned on. It's snowing out (yay!) but I also have a friend who needs a bit of help and wound up crashing here last night. So, I'm not sure how things are planning on going, but I'm going to be there for him either way. I'll miss an update for that._

_Whew! So, who was all hot and bother from last chapter? Mmhm. I love drama. A lot! And the sequel is going... swimmingly to say the least. lol Insanty continues to ensue on the sequel. So, as we get to the end of this story, look out for the next one. I'm going to put down all the info for it that I can at the very end of the last chapter. And, hopefully, we'll be able to get the first chapter of that up almost right away._

_Here's to hoping! Enjoy!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Forty-Three_

Haido had been up all night researching Anime Conventions near by and ones happening recently. He had wanted to get started right away, and this was the only way to make it work. Finally he'd found something. It was an hour out, but it was fairly big and the reviews said it was worth the wait.

Stifling a yawn, he got up from the computer, back and arms cracking as he headed to the shower. He dried and changed (having no time to sleep really) and grabbed his keys, heading out to his car.

Keiko had informed him where Kenji lived, so all he had to do was stop there and propose the idea... somehow, he had to make it seem like it was all from his head. So Keiko wasn't caught up in this.

He pulled up to Kenji's apartment complex, he climbed out of the car, taking up the printed information on the Con and locating Kenji's apartment, knocking.

He wondered if it was too early for the other man. Honestly, it wasn't that early... only nine o clock. This thing started at ten.

Kenji liked to sleep. No, he loved to sleep, and it had become a habit to sleep early when he knew Taki would show up at his apartment at seven every morning to wake him up. He had tried to stay up later, knowing that he wouldn't be waking up in the morning, but had still fallen asleep just after nine.

And because of that, he'd woken up at eight. Eight! He wasn't going to work, and he'd woken up at eight.

He was disgusted with himself, and tried to make himself sleep for half an hour. Finally, a little after eight thirty, he'd hauled himself from bed and into the shower.

If he was going to be awake, he might as well do something.

He was pulling on his shirt when he heard the door, and tugged it over his head. He hadn't had a chance to brush his hair, or put on socks, but he was mostly clothed, and he didn't feel to bad answering the door in his state.

Kenji's eyes widened in surprise when he saw Haido, who looked... tired, but at least awake. "Hi!" He'd thought Haido would call him. He didn't know the other man knew where he lived.

Haido smiled at Kenji, keeping his lips pressed tight to try and keep in a yawn, but it didn't work. He covered his mouth yawning widely, bordering on a slight squeaking noise.

"Sorry... was up late," he apologized, laughing a little. "Can I come in? I have something to show you."

He had to admit, he was a little excited about it. He had a chance to see Kenji, and actually time to spend with him. He was going to make sure it was good and fun for both of them. Haido swore to himself he was going to be far more attentive this time around.

Kenji nodded, brow furrowing a little in confusion. Still, he stepped back to let Haido in, shutting the door behind him. "What is it?" He asked all child-like curiosity quite intent on what Haido wanted to show him.

He wanted to know. He really, really, really did. It didn't seem to matter to him anymore that his hair was drying in knots, though it certainly would when it came time to brush it out.

And he knew that, yes, he should offer Haido coffee, or at least show him into the kitchen so he could make some while he brushed his hair and finished getting dressed. But Kenji had always been horrible with his manners, far more suited for informality then traditionalism.

Haido stepped in, removing his shoes in a rush out of habit. He fiddled with the papers in hand, before handing them over. Now he felt foolish, trying to suggest such a thing. It was so... simple.

"Uh... it's not too far... and I figured it might be... fun."

It wasn't that Haido didn't like anime... he just wasn't a fanatic who dressed up weird and paraded around all day. He was actually quite worried about what to expect at this thing if Kenji wanted to go.

"If you want to do something else... I mean, this was just a thought," Haido said with a shrug.

Looking down at the papers, Kenji didn't take the time to thoroughly read them. His eyes were wide again, and the smile that stole over his face. He didn't seem at all aware of Haido's uncertainty.

"We have to go to this." He decided with finality, looking up from the papers to smile at Haido.

He didn't have a costume, no, but he didn't care. Not a bit. He wanted to go, look at other people's costumes, and marvel at the time it must have taken to make them... He didn't care if he went in jeans and the oldest t-shirt he owned, but he wanted to go.

They had to.

Haido felt relieved inside when Kenji smiled at him. Alright, so he'd done something right. He made sure to thank Keiko profusely when this was all over and tensions had settled.

"It starts in an hour, and it takes an hour to get up there, give or take traffic," he explained. "I figured we'd get some things together for the long ride" things to keep Kenji amused "and then spend the most of the day there."

Nodding enthusiastically, Kenji paused and glanced at the bathroom. Hair, socks, shoes... Jacket! Maybe some music, because he couldn't take a trip without music.

Ooh, Iceman. His God.

"Um... The kitchen's in there," He gestured behind him toward an arched doorway with no door. It was obvious it was the kitchen by the refrigerator in the background and the tile on the floor. "I need to finish getting dressed, and if you wanted coffee or something, I've got plenty."

Because that was all he could really make.

"Thanks," Haido said with a nod.

Coffee sounded good. A nap sounded better, but coffee was good. So was breakfast, but fast-food never hurt anyone. At least Kenji was excited about going and wanted to go. With him even! Haido wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Already out of his shoes, he stepped by Kenji and headed into the kitchen. He felt like he needed to make enough coffee to choke a horse. The weight of sleeplessness was on him and it was heavy. Especially in his eyes. He just wasn't a late night person, he guessed.

Watching Haido walk past, Kenji felt the first, brief flash of confusion. How had Haido found out where he lived? When Taki came to pick him up, Haido was never with him... And really, an anime con couldn't be just a guess. A lot of people didn't like anime...

But he was shrugging it off, turning away from the door and moving through his apartment to get back to the bathroom. He didn't think about it as he brushed out his hair and put on socks, grabbed a jacket instead of a sweater, and left his bedroom to join Haido in the kitchen.

He wanted some coffee before they left. He'd have to ask Haido about some music, too.

By the time Kenji had finished primping, Haido was sitting at the little table with a mug full of coffee. On the counter, there was a pot of the same, and still hot. He sipped at it casually, not really enjoying the taste, but trying to be hopeful about the caffeine it was promising. Haido saw Kenji come in over the rim of the mug and smiled.

"I thought you might want some too," he said, pointing to the counter where another mug sat next to the pot. He didn't pour it out it would've cooled by now.

Haido had decided that Kenji didn't have to know that he didn't like anime. Or that he didn't want to go to a convention. After all, it was just something to do. A simple coincidence of interests, right?

So long as he wasn't asked any questions about it...

Unlike most people, Kenji didn't have one particular mug he used constantly. He had three, and they were the only three he owned. There wasn't one he used more then the other, because he used them all. So, there was no minute-long drama about Haido using his cup.

They were ALL his cups.

Taking the mug, he poured himself some coffee and leaned against the counter, looking over at Haido. He couldn't help but smile. Really, it was just so... sweet. He hadn't thought Haido would take him to his first convention during his week. It hadn't even occurred to him.

"Thanks." Taking a sip, Kenji didn't wince as it burned the tip of his tongue. He was so used to gulping down scalding coffee that he hardly noticed it anymore. "Do you have any CDs in your car?"

Haido was glad that Kenji was smiling. He must be doing something right. Finally.

"Yeah. Just a little bit of everything. Even some music from the States," he said with a small amount of pride. Haido couldn't help it, he enjoyed having a few rarities to pass around.

He did like Japanese music, but there was something intuiting about American music. Haido's English wasn't flawless, his accent wasn't as heavy as some, and he could understand it fluently, but he could always enjoy just good sounding music. Mostly he just turned off his brain to listen, so he wasn't focusing on the words. The music was good and the singing sounded like pretty noise.

"Really?" Kenji looked surprised, eyes widened over his cup. Music was his forte. He'd never been good at anything else, but he hadn't strayed far from his own language, not even in his music. He'd always been interested in it, though, especially listening to Iceman.

They littered their lyrics with English. It was just so cool.

"Like what?" He was going to bring along the Gate albums, definitely, but he wanted to listen to Haido's music, too. He was really interested in it, and he wanted to see how different it was.

"A little of what's popular over there now," Haido said. "Some underground things I've found. And a little bit of the older stuff. I like the different groups they have, although this one called Death Metal is kinda freaky. Sounds like belching sometimes."

He laughed a bit when he'd come across a few bands with really interesting names, but they he hadn't even been able to figure out what they were saying! And half the time, the music wasn't so good. It sounded like a bunch of noises slamming together.

"But a lot of it is really... smooth, almost. Not too fast, not too slow."

"That sounds cool." Kenji was drinking his coffee faster than he should have been, but he didn't mind the burn. After awhile, it just seemed normal with coffee, and he couldn't make himself drink it any other way.

Keiko still gave him weird looks about it.

"We should listen to it on the drive." He finished his cup, setting it down in the sink and rinsing it out. He slipped his hands into his pockets to wait around for Haido to finish, more then willing.

How could he ask Haido to hurry up when he was doing this? It was really just... It didn't seem possible.

He was still angry, still hoarding that deep down hurt, but it didn't seem as important. He hoped that maybe, they could operate like normal people today instead of ripping each other's heads off.

Haido saw the bit of eagerness in Kenji's movements and got up to empty out the rest of his mug. He'd drank a good portion, leaving that nasty taste in his mouth. He rinsed it like Kenji had (it would be rude not to do as the host had done) and set it in the sink.

"Sure. I've got two books worth of CDs, you can take your pick from those," he offered, no longer feeling as tired. "So, are we ready to go?"

Haido tried to act excited. He made sure to smile pleasantly and try not to show that he was in every completely untrusting of this entire setting.

"Yeah. Just let me... grab some CDs..." Kenji was leaving the kitchen, picking up his jacket from where he'd dropped it over a low backed chair. He pushed aside empty jewel cases when he reached a bookshelf, bumping them into books that looked as if they hadn't been opened for years.

They hadn't, either. Kenji had all but stopped reading when he decided he was finished with school.

He pulled out one of the few albums that was in its original case. The first Gate album. He liked all of Iceman's music, so he felt comfortable enough picking one without looking at it and leaving.

"Let's go."

Haido peered at the CD in Kenji's hand as they slipped on their shoes. Iceman. Good choice! He liked them, couldn't say he actually loved them. He was into music, but hadn't been able to say he loved anything in specific really.

Kinda went with his life.

"I'm driving, and there's only one rule," Haido said. "Don't whine about having to go to the bathroom, or me driving too fast."

With that, he held the door open for Kenji and walked out after.

_Author's Notes: Oh, poor little Haido and his not aware of Cons. We were really evil with this. You'll see next chapter. _

_Drop us a line!_

_SL_


	44. Chapter 44

_Disclaimer: Meh._

_Author's Notes: I'm not in a good mood this evening. It's nothing amazingly dramatic. It's just another one of the bumps in life. I really don't like them. Or the people that cause them for me. _

_Anyways, enjoy._

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Forty-Four_

Shock paralysis. What fucking bullshit.

Taki had felt like screaming through their explanation. He needed to distance himself from whatever was causing him so much stress. He needed to take a break from work, relax, and wait for his legs to heal themselves.

Well, fuck that.

He was on his feet as soon as he knew they could hold his weight. He was back at work in a matter of days.

But he wasn't accepting help, and he wouldn't visit Tohma. He was still livid, and every time he passed a camera, or went near Tohma's office, he grew a little more bitter.

He couldn't fucking believe that bastard had left. Just left! He'd been in the hospital for fucks sake, and he'd left! Taki had to stop, put down his pencil and sit back in his chair.

What did it matter? They weren't in a relationship. No attachments. None at all. So it didn't fucking matter. Like he'd said, Tohma was a grown man. He could do what he wanted.

But he wasn't supposed to want to leave.

Tohma had thought that Taki would've learned by now. The man just would not accept help in any form. He hadn't been asked to leave that night, he knew, but he wasn't made to feel like he was exactly wanted there, was he?

Of course on the inside, Tohma knew that Taki most likely (it was a 80/20 probability) wanted him to stay. You don't drive away the people you want around.

All Taki had to do was take his help, his advice, his companionship (for the time being, he told himself). Was it really that hard to get along with a person like himself? Tohma didn't think it especially so. He tried to be agreeable. Offer what he could, but he was not going to pamper and spoil those around him. They had to meet him somewhere, and the somewhere was a standard set differently for each person around him.

Taki's somewhere was at help. Still!

The blond sighed, leaning back in his chair, listening to the sounds of nothing in his office. How wonderful. He hit the intercom and had a short conversation with his secretary. They were usually short, but he was far more curt this time than usual. Tohma got up from the chair and left his office at a confident, brisk stride, heading for Taki's office again.

Tohma knocked on the door twice and then pulled his gloves tighter onto his hands, though he knew they would go no tighter.

He wasn't thinking when he called out, "Come in," to whoever had knocked on his door. It was only when his voice faded in his own ears that Taki realized that the only person who bothered to knock on his door was Tohma. And it was then that he cursed his own stupidity.

Pushing himself up and out of his chair, Taki tried to ignore the way he had to lean against his desk as he started to sort through the papers. If he looked busy and made enough noncommittal noises, Tohma would have to leave. He would.

Taki would make him if he didn't. Tohma was the very last person he wanted to see.

This was going to make him sick. He could already feel it.

Narrowing his eyes, he glanced up through his hair as the door began to open. Fuck.

Tohma entered, seeing as he was allowed to do so, and spotted Taki trying to work. He was on his feet (a good sign), though he was awkward. It didn't seem comfortable, and he was able to place why. Taki was putting his weight against the desk, not on his feet. So nothing much has changed.

"Aizawa-san, I'm glad to see you back at work," Tohma said with a smile, leaning against the doorframe. "Were the doctors able to find out what was wrong?"

The blond figured he should know what was wrong with an employee of his. After all, his company covered the medical. At least that was his excuse.

"Also, I thought you would like to know that Sonoda-san hasn't called in for anything. The rest of Opium is doing their best, I hope."

"Shock." Taki answered shortly, finally lifting his head to look up at Tohma. His hands stilled momentarily on the papers, but he looked down at them again and began to sort unseeingly. He knew he would have to go over the piles later, but he found he didn't care. "Haido hasn't come in today. Keiko's asleep."

At home, of course. He would have thrown her out if she slept at work. The last time he had allowed that to happen, it had nearly been fatal.

Finally, though, Taki had to give up on his papers. His desk was clear, and the piles were surprisingly neat looking, though he knew that they were terribly out of order.

He hoped Tohma didn't plan to take any with him when he left. That would be one mess he could live without.

"Shock?" Tohma asked, curious and interested now. "As in... shock from your nightmare?"

Of which he was a part of. The nightmare wasn't really a nightmare, just a reliving of the past for Taki. It didn't weigh heavy on Tohma any. Again, he'd been giving a helping hand in that matter years ago. This time, Taki would have to ask for his help, he would not just take his desired course of action.

Maybe because he did feel a little guilty and didn't want to make the same mistake?

Probably not.

Against all of Taki's personal precautions, he found himself nodding. "Something like that. They pumped me full of pills that are going to make me sleep so hard at night a bomb wouldn't wake me up, and told me what to do if it happened again."

It was all bullshit, though. He didn't need any fucking pills, and it wouldn't be happening again.

But now he was at a loss. What had happened to noncommittal noises? He was good at those, goddammit! Just nod and shrug, whatever it took to get Tohma out of his fucking office. And work! Fuck, it wasn't like he could go back through those piles and save himself from looking like an idiot.

"So... same old same old, then," Tohma said loftily. "Doctors won't fix anything directly, just remove reality from fantasy slowly with drugs. Or merge them together. They didn't give you anything more direct to help the issue than that?"

Was he dragging out the inevitable? Oh yes, quite so from the look Taki had on his face. Did it have a purpose? Oh no, not really. Just little things to edge Taki further and further along.

When the blond stopped to think on his actions, he wondered if he was driving Taki to a breaking point so as to pick up the pieces and fix him up properly. Then, when Tohma wondered why he wanted it so persistently, he banished the thought completely.

Shaking his head, Taki gave up and looked at Tohma. There was no point in not doing it. All he would do was give himself a cramp if he kept looking at his desk.

There was nothing that interesting on it, anyway.

"Just the pills." He gave Tohma a careful look, and the only sign that he was joking was the slight quirk to his lips. "Want them?"

He certainly wasn't going to use them.

Oh, but he was still angry. If Tohma wanted them, Taki would be more then happy to hand them over. One at a time, and he'd aim for Tohma's head. At this range, he wouldn't be missing any.

"Depends on the side affects," Tohma said with a smile. "Sometimes pills to 'help' cause more damage than they're worth. Then again... that's what most drugs do. There's the good, then the horrible. What do they do for you exactly?"

Oh, Tohma could play this game all day. Was he interested in taking drugs? Mildly. By taking some sort of sedative, it would keep him from his daily alcohol intake. Though, maybe the uplift would outweigh the usual mulled haze. It would be a change of pace.

Hmm... For some reason he was feeling lazy about it though. He didn't really care for going through all the upkeep and trouble of taking prescribed medications. You did have to be careful.

"Besides, Aizawa-san... you may need them sometime," he said patiently. This was, of course, assuming that they would still be near each other for a while longer.

Aizawa-san. Did Tohma have any idea how much he hated that? Taki took a slow breath, shaking his head as he looked away from Tohma. "I doubt it. I never think about that night."

That was probably why it turned up in his dreams, but after this... He was never thinking about it again. There wasn't a point.

He'd spent years lamenting that part of his past, and that was fucking enough. He had things he had to worry about now, things that demanded his attention and immediate solution. He had no time to angst about the past.

And now it was just getting in his fucking way.

Tohma felt that his welcome was far more than worn out by now. He didn't know whether to feel perversely elated at the annoyance in the other man cause with such subtle tactics and ease, or to feel slightly worried that he may be doing more harm than good. No matter, he needed to head out for a lunch with the head of their sister company.

"Well then, I'm glad to hear you're doing better. I guess we'll both keep up on the band then," Tohma said pleasantly. "But I'm going to be late for my lunch if I don't rush now. I'm sorry to have to leave like this. I do hope that you'll stop by my office later if you feel like talking... or get bored of work. I don't get very many conversationalists like yourself... Taki."

The blond smiled and gave him a small nod before leaving again, having to go back up to his office to gather his things, then go back down and out to the waiting limo. After this, there was nothing left on his schedule. He wondered if Taki would consider his words an offer, or a joke. Tohma wasn't sure if he knew himself.

When the door closed, Taki sat back down in his seat. Pulling a pile of papers toward him, he didn't look at it as he spread it back out over his desk. He was too busy glaring at the door.

Taki. That fucking bastard.

"He's going to kill me..." He grumbled to himself, finally looking down at the spread papers to begin to put them in order. They were all filled out, all signed, accounted for... He just needed to file them.

And they needed to be in order for that.

It was too bad Tohma was distracting him without even being present.

_Author's Notes: What's this? What's going on with this? Tohma walking away? The world is going to end! This is kind of a filler chapter, letting the characters play off each other after recent upsets. Get's more interest tomorrow. Scouts Honor._

_Drop us a line._

_SL_


	45. Chapter 45

_Disclaimer: Opium is ours! YAY!_

_Author's Notes: Alright, good afternoon. I actually slept last night and awoke with a screaming headache. I'm better now, thanks for small favors. Well, enough with the drama for now and let's get back with our favorite spaztastic couple, shall we?_

_Enjoy!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Forty-Five_

Kenji's apartment door opened and Haido stumbled in, removing his shoes blankly and made his way back to the kitchen, sitting heavily at the table. His face was bright red and he stared at the table for a good long minute before letting his head fall to greet it.

"Oh. My. God," he finally said, maybe louder than intended. It just felt all pent up. "Did you see that guy who was all... ugh... and the one who shouldn't've been wearing that... piece of... string is what it looked like."

Yaoi Convention. Spending the whole night up searching for an anime convention, and he'd gotten a Yaoi Convention.

It had become impossible for Kenji to keep a straight face half an hour into their drive back to Tokyo. They'd been listening to Iceman on their way back, and not even half way through Fate Weather, Kenji had just started to laugh.

A yaoi convention. It was fucking priceless!

Even now, he was pushing the door shut and shoving off his shoes, an amused, lopsided grin on his face. It was too funny! He'd taken a flyer, just so he could put it up on his wall and make sure he wouldn't forget.

This had to be the funniest thing that had happened to him since the day Keiko had tried to bleach her hair, and compared to this, that was mild hilarity.

"Come on..." Kenji was trying so hard not to laugh as he entered the kitchen, giving Haido's shoulder a playful nudge. He was going to make coffee, because it really looked like Haido could use it. "It wasn't that bad. He could have been good looking if he'd lost a few pounds."

He'd been surprised at the number of women there, though. And how many of them had looked as if their eyes would pop out of their heads when he'd grabbed Haido's hand on impulse.

Haido sat straight up and looked white and straight faced at Kenji. "HIS ASS ATE HIS UNDERWEAR!"

A few pounds nothing. A few twenty pounds easy. And that was all he'd been wearing too. Basically. Shudder inducing? More like tremor inducing.

The women were annoying and ogling every man there as if waiting for an orgy of gay sex to erupt.

Some of the men too.

But Kenji seemed to enjoy it, even loosened up. He wouldn't complain at that. Or that they had held hands almost the entire time there. It was almost comforting.

Except for the ass eating the underwear. That was going to haunt him.

Kenji nearly spilled coffee grounds across the counter. He was laughing too hard to breathe, resting heavily against the counter and holding on tight to the bag of coffee so it wouldn't fall. He couldn't bring a hand up to his mouth to muffle the noise, slim frame shaking with it.

For all that it had been the weirdest convention he had ever heard of, Kenji really had enjoyed himself. Most of it made him laugh, especially Haido's reaction to it all.

And, he could admit it, really. The guy in the thong?

Disgusting.

When he managed to get his laughter under control, he was sitting on the floor, still holding onto the coffee. He had to take deep breaths, slow to keep himself from choking on them.

Haido watched Kenji slowly fall farther and farther to the ground, clutching the bag of coffee as if it would save him. At least it didn't spill anywhere. But watching him made Haido's lips tremble as he tried to keep them in a straight line. It hurt a little as they jerked wildly.

Eventually he was cracking up too, laughing hard and gasping at the table. Holding his sides, he tried to talk.

"K-kenji... how... w-where did it go?!" he gasped, laughing harder still.

The thong had been barely visible. It was so hard not to say anything then and there when he had seen it. But he was glad he could say it now.

"Dammit..." Kenji was laughing again, trying to gasp in breath and pull himself back onto his feet at the same time. Coffee... but his legs felt so weak, and he couldn't quite keep himself up.

Unsteady, he gripped the edge of the counter and hauled himself to his feet. Setting down the coffee, he glared heartlessly at Haido. It was hard to glare when he was trying not to laugh. "You're horrible."

And it was hard to be mad at him when Haido had tried so hard. Really, it was obvious when they'd gotten to the convention that it was certainly not what he'd expected. And the expression had been so cute, that Kenji really couldn't help but tease him every chance he could.

Now that Haido was joking along with him, it was even harder to remember why he'd been angry in the first place. But, he did remember, and he wondered how much it mattered when they'd had such a good day despite the obstacles.

Haido couldn't even laugh anymore. He was just gasping, bent over the table, face buried in his arms. It had been funny. Actually, the whole thing hadn't even been so bad. Just having some strange day out didn't make for a bad day.

Finally, he could breathe, and he looked over at Kenji.

"But the blond guy was cute. Why didn't he wear the thong?" he said with a fake frown.

Nothing special though. Just something nice to look at. In Haido's opinion, he'd been wearing too much. The other guy? Too little.

"Because." Kenji made a face, pulling the coffee pot toward him. It was a relief to breathe, though his legs still felt weak and he was sure they would collapse if Haido made him laugh again. "No one can look good in a thong."

They were gross. Kenji knew he would never wear one, no matter what. They made him shudder.

"True," Haido drawled, looking unconvinced. "Alright, so ass eating thong man aside, did you have fun?"

It sounded casual to himself. He wondered if it sounded too casual, or not casual at all to Kenji. Haido couldn't make himself stop worrying about it. It wasn't what Kenji had wanted to do. Not exactly anyways.

But it was important. Even if Kenji was laughing now, maybe he would be disappointed at not having a real trip to a convention. Haido actually had more fun at this one. He supposed the real thing would be scarier though.

"Cause I know it wasn't exactly what I planned."

But he would take Kenji to a regular one if he wanted to. In an instant.

"I thought it was fun." Kenji offered Haido a smile, turning away from the sink where he was filling the coffee pot with water. Reaching blindly, he turned it off and picked up the pot again, forcing his attention back to what he was doing as he poured the water into the back.

The first time he had done it without paying attention, he'd spilled the water everywhere. He'd realized since that it would be better if he paid closer attention.

"It wasn't what I was expecting, but it was still fun." Kenji thought it was better to take things as they came and have fun rather then get angry because it wasn't what you expected. Still, there were some thing's not even he could accept and shrug off.

"I'm glad," Haido said, feeling relieved. "At least now I know it was worth the nightmares I'll be having about flabby fat man-ass."

He watched Kenji work at trying to make coffee and realized that talking to him was probably a bad idea. Maybe multi-tasking wasn't his forte. It was just something that kept him smiling.

Now he just had to work on tomorrow. And the day after that. And after that for a week. Today was a convention, but what about tomorrow? He'd have to think about it.

"I'll plan better tomorrow, promise," Haido said with a smile. "No flabby fat man-ass. Scouts honor."

Laughing, Kenji closed the top of the coffee pot and turned it on. It was a relief, really, because he was such a bad multitasker. He'd dropped a hammer on his foot once because he'd been trying to concentrate on too many things.

He still had the mark.

"Okay. It'll be a relief to be away from it." Really, Kenji had only looked long enough to realize what he was looking at. Then he'd looked away, toward the posters that weren't really any better.

Ah, well. Tribulations of the Yaoi Con.

Haido left Kenji's place earlier than he'd wanted, but he did have other things to do. He had to plan tomorrow and thank Keiko profusely and call up Taki.

When he got a hold of the manager, he told Taki that he was working as hard as he could to get Kenji to come back. He'd be sure to let Taki know by the end of the week latest.

That had been the deal after all.

_Author's Notes: Kel and I were dying during this chapter. For me it was because I would actually say those things if I saw them. And I could see myself actually having that conversation with Kel, too. Man ass is a dangerous thing, folks. XD_

_Haido's pretty much a complete person at this point in the story. He's more expressive, more interactive. Maybe he was just one of those people that needed to have someone else bring it out in him. I like this Hadio a little more. _

_Eh, my headache is coming back a bit. I'll try to make it for the second update._

_Drop us a line!_

_SL_


	46. Chapter 46

_Disclaimer: Blah blah blah crap blah._

_Author's Notes: So, good afternoons and apologies for the lack of update last night. I just passed the hell out. Anyways, yay for me! The daycare hired me. I'll be getting a call next week. I've got another interview in a few hours. But here's another chapter for you guys!_

_Thanks to Silverone for reviewing! It's really appreciated when we get reviews._

_Also, the sequel is going swimmingly! I love that word. So look out for that when we get to the end of this._

_Enjoy!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Forty-Six_

Tohma hated feeling useless and lazy. Especially when he had to deal with annoying old men all day blathering off on dirty jokes and smoking too much and getting too drunk. It wasn't his idea of fun. Then again, neither was spinning slowly around in his desk chair.

Eventually he stopped, digging through his desk drawer and pulling out a remote, turning on his stereo across the room. It played loudly, but not loud enough to disturb. Setting the remote down, he shrugged off his suit jacket, leaving him in the button down and uncuffed the sleeves to roll them up.

When all else fails, clean.

Tohma pulled the gloves off one finger at a time and left them neatly on his desk. Though he hated removing them, he didn't want to damage the soft leather with cleaning chemicals.

He pulled the items out of the bottom drawer and set them on the desk. Hm. Window would be best to start with. I took up nearly all of the wall behind his desk. It did require a little boost though. Grabbing up a handful of paper towels and cleaner, he eased himself up onto his desk chair steadying himself before starting. Eventually he forgot about his boredom and was singing along loudly to the CD playing, head nodding.

Taki would have been dragging his feet all the way up to Tohma's office if it hadn't hurt so much to do so. Even still, he took his time, though he did make a point to avoid the stairs. He wasn't quite ready to make a martyr of himself just for obstinacy.

Sometimes, though, it certainly was tempting.

When he got past Tohma's secretaries desk, he started to hear the music. It was familiar, but nearly everything was familiar to him. He was a musician at heart, and now on the other side of playing, Taki was quickly resorting to collecting.

He banged hard on the door instead of letting the secretary page him in, because it gave him a sense of perverse pleasure to know that he was interrupting. And, if he listened closing, he could hear a voice that didn't quite match with the music.

It made him want to laugh.

Tohma was singing. It didn't really surprise him that Tohma wasn't that bad. He was music, through and through, and he'd had to do his own vocals since Nittle Grasper parted ways.

Still, Taki liked his voice better when it was through a filter, and not a door.

Tohma paused midwipe across the window, pausing as he continued singing, only a notch lower. His head tilted to listen closely and it registered that the noise had been a knock at the door. Carefully, Tohma hopped off the chair, throwing the used paper towel away and taking up the remote to shut off the music.

The blond didn't bother fixing himself before opening the door with a smile. After all, he liked to think himself a friendly open boss. He liked to prove that he was human like the rest of them.

If this didn't prove any of that, he didn't know what would.

"Aizawa-san," Tohma greeted. "A very pleasant surprise. I'm sorry for the wait, I was in the middle of something when you knocked. Come in."

He stepped aside and held the door open for Taki and shut it when he stepped through, absently wiping his hands on his slacks. It was force of habit when his hands were bare.

"So, to what do I owe this visit?"

In the middle of something. Taki would have laughed if his expression hadn't hardened as soon as the door opened. He didn't want to be here, he reminded himself. He was only here because it was his job to let Tohma know what was going on.

"Haido called." He said as he closed the door, though he regretted it a moment later. It would have made it obvious that he wasn't planning to linger if he'd left the door open.

Now it looked as if he didn't want to leave at all, and that simply wasn't the case.

"He said that he's going to try to bring Kenji back by the end of the week, and he'd let us know how it goes." And, that was all he was there to do, but he made no move to go back toward the door.

Tohma nodded, walking over to his desk to just toy with the few objects sitting on it. No matter how much paper work he had to do, you could never tell.

How odd that everything had seemed to inadvertently come down to one week.

"Well... I'm sure Haido will try his best," the blond said, looking out the large window for a moment.

Suddenly, everything that was so... content before had gone. Why was it that when Taki stepped into the room, everything that circled in his head about them finally came to a boil?

"Will you still leave even if they pull it together?" he asked, dragging his pale fingertips across the dark wood of his desk and looked over at Taki. "I've been thinking about it for a while now. I'm not sure what I want to say... but I'm willing to change the contract however you'd prefer if you'll stay."

Leave?

Taki wanted to glare, but he knew he'd considered it. He would leave if Haido couldn't bring Kenji back, but only because Tohma had no place for him.

He actually had to wonder if Tohma did at all. It certainly didn't seem that way.

But now Tohma wanted him to stay. Taki felt the bitterness well up in his chest, and he had to fist his hands at his sides to keep himself quiet. He had to think before he spoke now, because this could mean the end of his job, the end of... everything. He didn't want everything to end.

"I'm not leaving." He finally decided, glaring not at Tohma, but at the front of his desk. "And don't bother changing the contract. I can't... afford to lose everything I have here."

The glare faltered, but only for a moment. Had he meant to say that?

No... No, he hadn't.

Jerking his eyes up back to Tohma, he gave the first jerky bow he'd offered to Tohma in months. "I need to get back to work." It was rushed, and obviously an excuse to leave as he turned to head for the door.

Tohma just watched the other man over his shoulder in silence as he left. When he saw the door close and the quiet steal over the room again, he knew he was alone. For all that he'd done, said and ever did to try and do anything right, a portion of himself had always wound up failing. With doors being closed on him, walls being built to avoid him... he was alone.

Maybe his age was starting to addle his mind.

Tohma looked out the window, seeing streaks as the job was half done. But the urge to clean was gone now. It felt like a chore. But he had to do it. Climbing back up on the chair, Tohma started again.

_Author's Notes: Ooo, what developments do we have here? This was a very charged scene. We didn't know how it was going to go. But we have a few leaks from Tohma and Taki with very few words spoken. I love that. Just the things they're feeling and the impass they're at now. I can't help but love it. What will happen next?!_

_Find out in the next chapter!_

_SL_


	47. Chapter 47

_Disclaimer: Opium is ours. Nothing else._

_Author's Notes: Okay, so my mom and uncle came down with something flu-like, and I wasn't going to get it. But I did. SO... I'm taking some rest time for this story, and instead working hardcore on the sequel with Kel while I'm laid up. She can put up with drowsiness and sporadic replies. I'm not sure how long this will take, but I'd give it another two days. My uncle had it and this is his third day and he looks to be doing better._

_Anyways, looks like I got the second job too. Awesome, now I just have to find the work ethic! o.O I know. _

_Enjoy a little random moment outside of Tohma and Taki's drama._

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Forty-Seven_

She didn't want to hear this. She didn't need to hear this. For the love of anything completely sane and utterly rational, shut him up! Keiko grunted a response as she leaned to one side, buttons clicking audibly on the game controller.

Then she tuned into Kenji on accident and was brutally murdered on the TV screen.

"Goddamnit, Kenji!" Keiko shouted, throwing the controller down on the floor like a spoiled brat. "You know the rule: I don't care!"

When it was time to plays games, she didn't give a shit. But now, taking a deep breath, she looked over at him, rolling her eyes apologetically.

"Alright... hurry up and gush before I decide to play again."

The look on Kenji's face was the little kid pout. He was obviously toying with the idea of waiting for Keiko to pick up her controller again to start, but he obviously thought better of it. She'd thrown those at him before, and they hurt.

"We went to a convention!" Kenji told her with a bright smile, one that completely erased all signs of the pout. "It was a yaoi convention, though, and he was soooo embarrassed."

Kenji felt very much like a crushing school girl, and he was playing it up because he knew it annoyed Keiko, and that was simply the goal of his life. "I've never seen anyone turn that many shades of red. And yesterday, he took me to get a piercing."

Honestly, Kenji had been nervous. His ears still hurt, because he just wasn't used to having two holes in them. He planned to add more later, but he had to wait for these to be healed first. "He asked me at least twenty times if I was really sure I wanted to get it done."

It had made him laugh, actually. He'd been sure for years, but Haido couldn't know that. Kenji still wasn't sure how Haido had found all of this out, but... He'd question it later. For now, he wanted to forget that he was angry and enjoy their week.

"Lemme see," Keiko demanded, leaning in and tilting his head this way and that and pushing his hair aside to look at the piercings, muttering about infections and evil people sticking needles and things. "Alright... you _are_ cleaning them, right?"

They looked fine. Perfect in fact. A light red, but that was normal. But still, she had to nag at him for something. Finally she sat back and stared at him, lighting a cigarette.

"So, a yaoi convention, huh?" she asked with a snort. "You sure he didn't plan that at all? Cause that's one of those gay things, right?"

If Haido was using Kenji to keep him close and in bed, keep him happy and turned on. Yaoi convention seemed like a good idea.

"Any other hot men catching your interest then?"

Kenji rolled his eyes as if to say of COURSE he was cleaning them. They'd only been in for a day, it wasn't like there was much to worry about yet. He didn't think his ears were going to turn green, because he knew he didn't have a metal allergy.

Still, it was soooooo sweet of Keiko to care. Even though he knew she was only doing it to have something to complain about.

Thinking of the thong-man, Kenji made a face. "No... They were all kind of gross. Greasy, you know? There was one guy that wasn't bad, but I don't like blondes."

No offense to Keiko, of course. But, she knew he could never like her that way anyway.

"Well, none of them would be good enough anyways," Keiko said, reaching towards the table for her pack and lighting up a cigarette. She got up and grabbed the controller to her game and sat back down.

So she was over protective of Kenji, problems?

Besides, she usually did know what was best. When Kenji didn't listen, he wound up in trouble somehow.

"So, what's he got planned next? And do you want him to keep this up?" she asked, restarting the game from her last save point.

"I don't know..." Kenji sighed, rubbing a hand through his hair. "I'm still mad at him, but it's hard to stay mad when he's around and being so perfect. I know I should be, but... he doesn't know what he did, and I really do like having him around."

The expression on his face was so helpless it actually hurt. His eyes were heavy, and it felt so strange to frown after such a long period of smiling.

He really didn't know what to do about Haido.

Keiko rested the controller on her lap playing one handed briefly to flick ash into an ashtray at her side, stuck it in her mouth again and took up the controller. She was silent for a long moment, buttons clicking, eyes squinted through the smoke.

"Were you lying when it all happened, or was it just a heat of the moment thing?" she finally asked, repeating her motions continually to flick ash. "Like... when you said... 'it', was it an accident, or just something to say to say."

Gods knew what happened between the sheets half the time. Some mistakes were made that couldn't be taken back, and though she'd made her share (even doing what Kenji himself had done once or twice), she'd never acted like this over it.

Why was her friend so weird?

Sighing, Kenji shrugged. "I'm not sure..." He wasn't. He didn't know what to think about the situation, and coupled with his desire NOT to think about it, he very rarely reached any grand conclusion.

"It didn't feel like just something to say, but I didn't mean to say it." And he wasn't sure whether his hurt was from Haido telling him no, or simply because of the denial in the first place. Kenji didn't know, and he didn't know how to find the answer.

It was like math. There were just some things he was really bad at. This seemed to be one of them.

"Ah," Keiko grunted with a short nod. "So you basically fast-fowarded. Got it."

This time she hit pause and relaxed back into the couch, snubbing out the cigarette. She motioned for Kenji to sit closer and she draped an arm over his thin shoulders.

"Sorry about this, but you've gotta figure it out now," she explained, not looking sorry in the least. "There's no reason for you to do anything you don't want to, but it's not right to lead someone else on, despite their... unclear intents. So, you've got your options, Kenji: One- You try starting a relationship with a clean slate. No jumping into bed. Two- Jump into bed, fuck the relationship. Three- Back out now."

Keiko gave him a one armed hug.

"I won't hate you if you don't want to be a part of the band after this. It was yours to make or break. But you do need to realize and think about what you're doing."

Looping an arm around her shoulders, Kenji nodded, brow furrowing. He didn't seem to realize how very few hugs from Keiko he got, already wrapped up in thoughts he hadn't really allowed himself for days.

It was easier now that he had choices. He didn't want to back out and leave the band. He didn't really want to leave the band at all, but it was the easy option. Just step back and let everything, life carry on without him.

But that was the cheap way out. He didn't want to mitigate everything and simply step back.

He didn't want to just climb into bed again, either, even though they had never REALLY been in a bed. That would keep them on the same unsteady ground they were on, and that wasn't at all safe.

So that left him one option.

Pulling back from the hug, Kenji stood and ruffled Keiko's hair. "I need to call Haido..."

Keiko gave him a little smile, blowing him a kiss as he stood, running a hand through her hair. Brat.

"Alright, babe," she said with a nod, lighting up another cigarette and unpausing the game. "Go call him and get back to me when you get a chance. I haven't seen much of you lately. He's making sure you eat, right?"

Kenji couldn't cook, he never had food in the house, so someone had to make sure he was eating something and not just living off coffee.

"Never mind. I'm leaving this between you and him," she said, shaking her head just slightly as she watched the game on the TV. "Don't forget to call me once in a while lover boy."

_Author's Notes: Yes, Keiko is being seen less and less these days. She's still a good friend to Kenji and in the band, it's just... we have no idea what we want her to do. I think it would've been funny if we made her a lesbian, but I'm also delirious with a fever, so. Yeah. _

_Or Keiko could've been a ninja! That would've been sweet. Ninja powers! Hm... I wanna write about ninja now._

_Drop us a line!_

_SL_


	48. Chapter 48

_Disclaimer: Blerguhl._

_Author's Notes: Okay, I said I'd rest and take a step back from this story until I was better, but I can't. I'm bored. Laying on the couch all day is so freakin boring. No one's on until much later because of time zones, and whatnot. So, here I am. I really can't do much editing for a while. I'm having issues with spelling. I'm still running a fever._

_Anyways, thank you to our reviewers. I'm so glad you love the story. The sequel is making a lot of progress! So, we're back to Tohma and Taki for you lovers of them. Enjoy!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Forty-Eight_

He couldn't believe he'd said that. Couldn't fucking believe it.

Taki avoided Tohma's office for the rest of the day, and well into the next. He didn't want to see Tohma, didn't want to face up to the fact that he'd practically admitted... almost told him...

No. No, he hadn't. He'd only said that the contract should stay the way it was, because he wasn't leaving. It was the WORK that was important to him. The work.

Except, the work hadn't come to work in days.

He knew he was lying to himself, and it left a sick feeling in his stomach. He spent more and more time in his office, even skipping lunch. While he was in his office, he was okay. He could lock the door, ignore the camera he knew was there, and pretend he was alone.

But while he was out in the halls? There was always that chance of running into Tohma, and he wasn't ready for that.

The blond was watching the array of screens on his wall quietly. He followed all laws, and these were only for terms of security. There was nothing perverted in where he'd placed them... or had one installed.

Across the hall from Taki's office.

He couldn't help himself. Once the idea had come to him (cameras were only placed in each corner of the hallways), he couldn't push it away. Taki didn't come by anymore. He wasn't at lunch in the break rooms or cafe. It wasn't wrong of him, was it?

Why was he questioning himself!? Tohma had full confidence that he knew what he was doing. And he was a fair man, so he didn't put it in the office. And it was also why he wasn't offering Taki a job to stay permanently just in case. Of course he could keep the other man around here, unfortunately, there was no work to be done. He couldn't do that to his other managers.

Tohma set down the now empty class, ice all that was left. And decided he had to plan this right. By now, Taki had a very vague schedule. A routine. The crazy thing to do, of course, would be to study it obsessively and catch him at a moment. Tohma was not crazy. He'd given Taki some work that had to be delivered to a producer on another floor. Today. Since the producer would be leaving in about ten minutes, this would be the only time for Taki before it was too late.

Taki hadn't left all day otherwise. He saw Taki leave and waited patiently until he was on his way to the other floor. Tohma's plan was to catch him on his way back. Tohma left and went to Taki's office, allowing himself the liberty of entering and taking a seat in Taki's chair.

And this just fucking sucked.

Taki hated to rush, but there was no other way to get this stupid folder to the producer who was leaving in mere minutes. He wished he hadn't picked up his phone, but it had been an automatic reaction, and he would have done it just to get the damn thing to shut up.

Secretaries were so pushy.

It was a relief to get to the office the producer shared with another manager and drop the folder on the man's desk. He was obviously getting ready to leave. The desk was clear, there wasn't a computer in sight, everything was put away, and the man had been just about to get up.

"Thank you!" He smiled, "I'm glad you caught me. This is a very important folder... I'm sure Seguchi-san will be pleased."

Taki nodded, but didn't respond, already turning toward the door.

He was taking his time on his way back to his office. He didn't want to rush again. It didn't occur to him that if the folder was so damn important, the producer could have gotten it himself, or adjusted his schedule enough to wait for it.

And when the hell had he become a fucking delivery boy?

Taki was fuming when he got back to his office, stepping inside without looking at his desk and kicking the door shut hard behind him.

"My, what did the door ever do to you?" Tohma asked, ever pleasant, as he turned the chair to face Taki.

Would Taki be angry if he came clean and explained why Taki had to go deliver a file? Well... he had to wonder about that himself. While their conversations were stimulating, there was something else invested now, and it wasn't just sex.

It bothered him, to say the least. Something inside his own little world. His very own being was not at his control.

"I wanted to thank you for dropping off that folder for me. I know you must be busy. I've hardly seen you!"

Taki, about to take a step, leaned back against the door because Tohma's abrupt appearance had made his heart skip a beat in his chest. And now it brought on a flooding sense of dread, because Taki knew he was not ready for this.

He had half a mind to leave again.

In the end, he decided that the less he gave Tohma to respond to, the faster he would have to leave. "I've been working." Something he was supposed to do when he was in the building. He remembered what he came here every morning for, but it was getting harder and harder to find things to work on when his band, all three of them, now, were missing in action.

When they came back (because they all would. Taki would track them down if he had to), he was going to make sure they finished the work they were supposed to have finished this week in record time.

"I should hope so," Tohma said, but his smile was falling fast. He had to think for a moment. Taki had the ball in his court. He was at fault from the hospital, and Tohma would not make any motions towards the other man. He had to do it himself.

And just how Taki looked was enough. At first, almost scared. Heart attack-like. Tohma didn't know how to feel to that. Was he truly that fear inducing? The step back. Unease, wary and so unsure of himself. The look on his face had flickered from frightened and unsure to composed. He knew the game he was playing now.

Tohma figured it must involve him and leaving. When did he realize so much about Taki with things so small? Why did he feel the horrible urge to walk away now?

Even though he knew Taki should come to him, but he couldn't help himself from asking. He kept his eyes level and his mouth was a thin, straight line.

"Are you avoiding me?"

It was all in his mouth. When Tohma was smiling, Taki knew to look at his eyes. But it was his mouth now that was the great give away. Taki had never seen Tohma look so serious. Grim, maybe even...

No. Not that.

Taki had always been one to test his limits. He'd always pushed and shoved, and he knew that he usually went too far. He knew that this would be way too far for what they were right now. It was like pole vaulting in gravel. Unsafe and treacherous.

Taki knew that if for anything else he'd done, it was this answer that could really get him killed.

With a professional smile that didn't reach his eyes, Taki nodded. "Yes. I am."

Tohma had been holding his frown in this way, and yet, he could feel his hold slipping. He thought he might wind up smiling again, but instead gravity took its course and the frown set deeper. The corners of his lips fell, his eyes drained. It felt so much easier than smiling all the time. How odd.

"Well, then I'll let you get back to work," he said quietly, but he cleared his throat loudly and smiled again as he got up out of the chair. "I know we have to stay on top of things even though the band isn't here."

Things to cancel and push back. New dates to make just in case. Rescheduling for appearances, photo shoots. It was very tedious. Beaurocrasy. Annoying really. Tohma didn't prefer it.

"I'll see you by the end of this week...," he said with a faulty finality. He wanted to say Taki's name at the end, only he wasn't sure which to used.

Unfortunately, Taki was still standing in front of the door. He waited politely for the other man to move, though, and he hated admitting it to himself, he had a brief flash of hope that Taki wasn't going to move. Where that little idea went from there was... interesting.

For a brief, delusional second, Taki thought Tohma might cry. But, it didn't take long before Tohma was smiling again, and Taki realized for the first time that he really could hurt this man. A younger him would have seized on it and sought to bring Tohma down to his knees, but Taki found that he didn't... want to.

He had to be sick.

Tohma was standing now, just... staring at him. And he remembered that he was in front of the door. He could feel it against his back, and the slight tilt let him look up the scant inch of height difference to see Tohma's face.

Irrationally, he felt himself start to apologize, then bit his tongue hard to stop it.

He didn't regret anything he did. He couldn't let himself, or he'd start to regret everything.

Nodding mutely, he slipped past Tohma and to his chair, arm burning where it had brushed against Tohma's. He needed to rearrange, give himself more space. He knew he'd have plenty if he pushed the desk up against the door.

Tohma waited until he was out of the office and the door was shut before one hand came up and gripped the other arm that had brushed against Taki. What was happening here?

Well, if nothing else, he knew one way he could possibly fix this. It was just a matter of calling up an old friend. A very _close_ one. Surely that would get Taki out of his system.

With that settled, he walked back to his office, opting for the stairs instead of the elevator.

_Author's Notes: I may do another update tonight if I'm bored again. I've been passing out lately because I keep trying to do more than my body wants me to. Sorry. So here we have more tension with few words between them. What will happen? What does this mean?_

_Ooo, Pokemon!_

_Drop us a line, dear readers!_

_SL_


	49. Chapter 49

_Disclaimer: Opium is ours._

_Author's Notes: My fever is down to 100.3. I'm guessing I just have to keep sweating it out. And I can't do much else considering I get dizzy if I get up. So under these blanket I shall stay! This sucked, but hopefully I'll be good by the time I have to get to one of the jobs._

_WOO! _

_So, enjoy the next chapter._

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Forty-Nine_

Taki knew it was getting bad. Worse then before. He was burying himself in work that wasn't there, and it was nearing the end of the week. Everywhere he went in the building, he knew there were cameras catching his every move. He kept his head bent down over the paper he wasn't really reading as he entered the elevator.

It had been a rush of irrational honesty that made him tell Tohma the truth. He wished he hadn't. For the first time in his life, he was regretting an action, and he found that it wasn't making him feel any better.

He'd woken that morning to the lingering memory of a dream. He knew it had to be a dream, because he had never seen Tohma above him like that. He had felt the bed moving beneath him, and Tohma was backed by a white light, so Taki couldn't really see his face.

And when they were finished, Tohma had collapsed on top of him, body shaking and breathing ragged. Then Taki had woken up, showered, and gone to work, determined to ignore the dream.

It had been plaguing him all day.

Tohma had to rush forward, catching the elevator before it closed, stepping inside the lift, hitting his floor button while he spoke on the phone, oblivious to the rest of the world around him. He had the small phone cradled between his shoulder and ear while looking down at the paper he'd picked up this morning. He'd nearly been late.

"Yes, I know," he said with a smile. "No, I didn't forget. I'll pick it up for you on my way home tonight. What? No, no, no! I'm surprised you even offered to do that for me."

The blond laughed quietly into the phone, smile large. "Yes, you were great. No, I- what? Oh, I'm sorry. Try not sitting for a bit then." He laughed again. "Alright then, no, listen, I'm at work, so I'll give you a call around lunch if I can, alright? Yes, you too. Bye."

With a small sigh, Tohma removed the phone from his ear, folding it closed and slipping it into his pocket, leaning against the wall and reading the paper with his smile still present.

Taki wished he could melt through the floor. He kept his eyes focused on the paper, even though there was no chance he could see the words. The hand not keeping the page up was fisted behind him, pressed tight between his body and the wall. His eyes were too narrowed to see the words.

He didn't want to know. No. No, no, no.

And it was just his fucking luck that Tohma was in the elevator with them, and that both of their offices were on the higher floors. Taki would be able to get out first, but he was sure he would be noticed before then.

Or make himself noticed. There were so many words on the tip of his tongue, he was having a hard time keeping them back.

The first were "I hate you," but he didn't dare let himself say them.

It was all too obvious what had happened. Taki wanted to kick himself. Tohma had found someone else. But, that wasn't supposed to matter to him! It was just a fucking contract, there was nothing personal about it. Nothing.

He had no reason to care, but that didn't stop him from doing it.

"Even my wife deserves something from me sometimes, Aizawa-san," Tohma said without looking up from the paper. "I do have marital obligations to uphold. As I'd like you to know, I am a man of my word."

Tohma was a married man. He had been for some time now. He wouldn't be getting a divorce any time soon. He'd made a promise and he would keep to it. Nothing would make him do anything but. Mika was kind enough to understand, but she did love him, and while this made guilt a very tangible thing, Tohma always made sure she was able to have what she wanted once in a while.

"Being married wouldn't've changed. Even for you," he said softly. The elevator _ding_ed! and Tohma's eyes flickered upwards briefly. "I believe this is yours."

It felt like a long time between the door opening and the door closing. Taki was silent while it stood open, and once it was shut, he stepped forward and hit his fisted hand against the emergency stop. Immediately, the fingers uncurled and Taki braced his weight as they elevator jerked and halted.

"Everything's always about you, isn't it." It wasn't a question, Taki was just stating facts as he saw them. "The world just isn't right if Seguchi isn't the center of the universe."

He was glaring, he could feel it on his face. His voice was low and angry, past yelling. He'd been past yelling for days.

"I am so, so sick of it." He took a deep breath, like he was trying to keep himself under control. "I don't breathe because of you. I don't think about only you. I work for you, I slept with you, and if that's all it's ever going to be, stop rubbing it in my face. I know. You don't need to remind me that I'm nothing."

It was hard for Taki to keep his voice level, and it was starting to shake with the strain. He couldn't keep his eyes on Tohma's face, either, because there were points in his speech that he knew weren't true.

He did only think about Tohma, and that made it worse. He knew he would never be anything to the other man. Nothing but a contract and an on-the-job-fuck. He'd known he was being used as soon as it started. Hell, it had started with him using Tohma, too. He could admit it. He would. But it wasn't about use anymore. There was something in Taki that didn't want to let go, but it was the rest of him that was giving up.

"It's almost Friday, and I haven't heard anything from Kenji and Haido. By Monday, I doubt you'll have to deal with me again, so our continued acquaintance is no longer necessary." He was just hurting himself with these words, and he knew it. Tohma didn't give a shit, and that just made it fucking harder. "I'll be gone before you remember I was here."

Tohma had his legs crossed at the ankle as he leaned against the wall. When the elevator came to a sudden stop, he jerked putting one foot out to the side to keep his balance. He paused completely, folding up his paper as Taki had gone off on his rant.

His fingers paused ever so slightly when Taki had hit points that hurt. Making him feel like he was nothing. Saying that, basically, he was an attention whore... things along those line dug in deep. He placed the paper down on the floor of the lift and straightened up, looking at Taki, square in the eyes.

"Let me understand this," he said drawling it out. "You intentionally aggravate me at the hospital, so I leave. After all, you didn't care. Then, _you_ avoid _me_, I leave you to come back when you're ready, and now, now when I'm just talking in the wrong place at the wrong time, suddenly I believe the world revolves around me?"

He crossed his arms, fingers gripping tightly as he glared, officially glared at Taki, mouth pulled down tight into a frown.

"Enlighten me, Taki. Please, tell me where I've gone wrong in all this. Tell me where I've messed up and starting thinking that it was your fault we haven't seen each other."

He took a deep, calming breath, eyes closed briefly.

"I knew you didn't want me to leave you that night, Taki. But I wanted you to ask me to stay. Would it have been so hard to have outright asked me to stay with you?"

"Yes!" Taki was a man of pride, and asking Tohma to stay with him... It would have been like bowing down to his humanity and letting it take control of him. Taki couldn't do it. He wouldn't admit that he was no better then anyone else, because he had spent so much of his life perceiving himself as above all that.

It would have been too hard. Just like keeping himself steady while Tohma glared at him was too hard. He couldn't do this. He couldn't.

But Tohma had known. Tohma knew that Taki had wanted him there, whether or not Taki had known it himself. And still, Tohma had left, just because Taki hadn't asked him to stay.

What a fucking load of shit.

"I can't just... do that." He shook his head, fingers gripping at the wall as if they could break through it.

A man of pride, Taki didn't let his feelings get in the way. Only once, and it had caused him more problems then he had ever imagined it would. And now, again, because of that same damned man! Taki didn't know what it was about Tohma that made him feel so much that he couldn't keep it in, but whatever it was, he wished it would go away, and leave him alone.

He couldn't keep doing this. He couldn't keep dreaming about Tohma, he couldn't keep seeing Tohma's face everywhere he went.

So, it was just as simple as that? A small shred of pride had caused this much? So much horrible torment between them... all because Taki was an idiot. Tohma was absolutely speechless. He could not believe the complete moronic attitude of the other man. Pride, of course, was all well and good but... well, then again, maybe Tohma had been making too much out of this. Mountains out of molehills and the like.

Fine. Let it end, he decided. It would only be best, wouldn't it? Opium would most likely never return and 'grace' the corridors of N-G with its presence. The contract would then become null and void. Both the band contract and the one between Taki and himself. And though there was something settled deep down within, and everything rational left inside screamed against this, the blonde decided to have himself in control one last time.

Stepping forward, his fingers curled into the front of Taki's shirt past the jacket and jerked him forward. Having the slight height advantage was actually a pleasure as he let his head tilt downward just a little, frown still deep.

"I don't like the way you play with me, Taki," he said softly. "However intentional or unintentional it is, I don't like it."

Tohma threw all caution, anger and hate into the kiss he pressed hard against Taki's lips. In the far reaches of his mind, he hoped he'd bruised them just a little.

The kiss hurt, though Taki couldn't tell if it was physical hurt or emotional. It didn't matter, because Tohma's lips burned against his, pressed hard in the most trying kiss Taki had ever experienced. The only space between them was brought by Tohma's arms, and Taki knew he would pull away if Tohma hadn't been gripping so hard.

Playing with him? Taki's eyes narrowed but didn't shut, and he dropped the paper to hold onto Tohma's shoulders. He didn't care if he bruised In fact, he hoped he did, gripping too hard to possibly be acceptable. Playing with him!

That fucking bastard.

It was instinct that made him return the kiss, instinct that made Taki part his lips and force Tohma's open to. He didn't have words for what was rushing through him, there were no words for it. He was so far past anger that the fury felt like it could drown him, and he knew that if Tohma pulled back and forced him to speak, nothing intelligible would come from him.

He had never hated Tohma more in his life. He hated everything about him, from the tips of his hair to the toes of his overly shined shoes, Taki hated him. And where there was a fine line between pleasure and pain, the line between love and hate was even finer.

When Taki's mouth parted and forced his to do the same, Tohma had no complaints to do so. But he would dominate the kiss, and he did. His tongue pushed in, eyes drifting shut, and making darting sweeps of the other mans mouth. To be this close to Taki again... he didn't think it would feel like such a relief. But it was just a last relief.

His free gloved hand came up and removed his bowler of his head and let it hover over into a corner of the elevator. He didn't care if it had landed into a pile of filth at the moment. Using his hands, he slipped the jacket off of Taki's shoulders before pushing him up against a wall of the elevator, hard, using his body to keep him there.

His quickly fumbled his gloves off and when his hand were bare, he let his fingers slip smoothly down the sides of Taki's face, petting down his neck until the shirt blocked him. The bare skin felt smooth under his touch-restricted hands.

Ah, God, he'd missed this...

When he hit the wall, Taki couldn't help but moan. He didn't know how it had happened, or when, but somewhere during the kiss, he had let Tohma have control. He knew he wouldn't be getting it back, and somehow, he wasn't exactly sad to see it go.

His fingers gripped and pulled at Tohma's jacket, tugging to get it off Tohma's shoulders. But he didn't pull hard, head tilting back to press into Tohma's hands.

Damn those hands. They felt so achingly perfect against his skin that Taki didn't want Tohma to ever stop touching him. Taki would stay like this for hours if it meant Tohma would never pull his hands away. But Taki knew it didn't work like that, and so he took what he could now, because he was sure that after this Tohma wouldn't be touching him at all.

It was nearly Friday.

_Author's Notes: Woo! I love elevators. . This wasn't planned at all, but it happened anyway. Oh Fate! How do I love thee? YAY! Anyways, I'm down to 99.7 now, so that's even better! I'll get back to editing tomorrow, it seems. Ah, a nice break while it lasted._

_Drop us a line!_

_SL_


	50. Chapter 50

_Disclaimer: Must I repeat?_

_Author's Notes: Bleh. Sorry for the no update. I decided to get back into editing in favor of updating because I have a lot to go over. This is the last chapter I had pre-edited before I made the rest. I've gotten almost ten more chapters done, though. I'm just a little tired. And tonight, me and some friends are going to see Zodiac! Spoooooky. He's actually a very interesting serial killer for anyone that may have taken a Psych class. I suggest looking it up online if you want._

_Anyways, last chapter we had the breaking point starting up between Taki and Tohma. I wish I could say it was happily ever after from there on, but if it was, we wouldn't have a sequel! Kel and I had a specific ending planned out for this story. Mostly, it was the ending for Haido and Kenji, but with the way things turned out, it was a right place to end things for Tohma and Taki._

_Twenty-six more chapters until the end. What else could we possibly torture these characters with until then? Pffffft, lots. Tons. You'll see._

_Thanks to Anon and Jo-Jo. Reviews are always great to get! And I have to agree with Jo-Jo. It is getting better as it goes. We're getting into a more realistic setting now, trying to take a step out the farfetched reaches that Tohma seems to have, albeit, we don't know much about the music industry, so we warped it to fit our story._

_So, now please enjoy a tender moment!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Fifty _

"Alright, popcorn? Check. Kenichi Ito live in concert?" Haido picked up a DVD and popped it in to the player. "Check. Ready?"

He went back over to the couch, taking a seat, shifting to get comfortable. Eventually, he settled with one leg folded underneath him leaning over on the arm rest. Today was just a nice calm day. He was surprised Kenji had agreed to this. After all, he'd made up his mind to sort of... 'woo' Kenji back into good graces. This wasn't exactly what one would call 'wooing'.

Then again, after that phone call, things had been a little strange. Haido took up the remote and hit play before setting it down on the table again.

"Kenji! You're gonna miss it! Soda doesn't take that long to get."

"It does too!" Kenji came out of the kitchen holding two bottles of Ramune, marbles already pressed down. Handing one to Haido, he sat down on the couch, folding his legs under him and leaning against the smaller man.

The truth of it was, Kenji would have agreed to anything Haido suggested, especially after the call. A day in sounded perfect, and a day in watching Kenichi Ito... well, that was past perfect. That was bliss.

He'd seen this concert before, though, and that was fine. He liked Kenichi Ito. Kenji thought he was funny, and he'd been following his career since he'd started in Iceman. Iceman was still one of the best bands in the world, it didn't matter to him that they'd broken up years before...

It didn't take much. As soon as Kenichi was playing his solo for Solitude, Kenji was asleep, his head on Haido's shoulder.

_He was so nervous. It was easy to be confident when Keiko was looking at him, but as soon as he was outside and dialing the number, Kenji felt like the couldn't breathe. But, there weren't any other options. _

He wasn't ready to give up the band, and he wasn't ready to give up the idea of a relationship with Haido. The reality, well... that was different. But the idea? He couldn't hand that aside. Not after everything else, and even with that in mind, his hand was still shaking as he pressed the phone to his ear.

Haido smiled, looking down at Kenji as he slept soundly. He let an arm slip gently around the other mans body, watching him with Kenichi singing in the background. That was faint though. He wasn't paying attention.

His mind was wandering back and forth from now and back then. When Kenji had called him.

_Haido had been out shopping when Kenji had called. He was trying to decided which animes and mangas would be good to pick up for Kenji. He was also wishing that he knew what kind of candy the singer liked. If Keiko had told him, he couldn't remember it. _

His phone buzzed in his pocket and he answered distractedly, but as soon as he heard the voice on the other end, he couldn't help but find himself smiling. Though... something sounded different. And, when he thought about, when had Kenji ever called them during this whole little thing?

He had to step out of the store to hear him better. It had sounded important. Almost like something was wrong.

_Kenji didn't remember what he said in the beginning of the conversation. Hello, probably, but it wasn't important... not at all. Not compared to everything else. _

"I need you to just... listen for a minute, okay?" His voice was shaking almost as much as his hands were, and while Kenji could tighten his fingers to make them stop, he couldn't do anything about his words.

_"Of course," Haido answered, frowning as he walked along the busy sidewalk. Damnit! This city was so congested. He was jostled a bit, but eventually made it out of the dense part of the foot traffic. _

"What's going on?" he asked, not liking this at all. Kenji sounded weird. Like he was hurt or... or something worse. "Do you need me to stop by? Something?"

Anything? He didn't like how this was going already.

_"No, just... listen." Kenji took a deep breath, but it wasn't doing anything to calm him down. "I don't know how to say this..." He sighed, pressing a hand to his forehead. _

His stomach was knotting, tensing and making him feel sick. "I know... I promised to give you a week, but... I'm really not patient." Taking a deep breath, Kenji couldn't make himself focus on the building across the street.

"I love you."

Author's Notes: We like the contrast of this scene/flashback compared to Tohma and Taki. Yes, these things ar going on simultaneously. We thought it was an interesting thing to do. Give a look at two different couples on opposite ends of the scale.

Tell us what you think.

SL


	51. Chapter 51

_Disclaimer: Blah!_

_Author's Notes: Tired today. Was playing Guitar Hero with the boys last night again. Rockin out, as usual. Woo! So, here was are, chapter 51. Kinda of neat. 50 seemed like then end or something to me because that's where I stopped editing. Even with all these other chapters done, they seem separate and I don't know why._

_Anyways, thanks again for another review, Anon! Don't worry, we'll get back to Haido and Kenji, but until then, why not enjoy some Tohma and Taki?_

_Enjoy!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Fifty-One_

Tohma was angry at Taki. He loved the feeling of the other man pressed against him, but it didn't stop the fact that he was so angry. The blond decided not to hide it any either. Taki would have to put up with it no matter what either way.

Since the elevator was stopped, and security cameras could give fair warning, Tohma could roughly estimate the time they had. Of course, his people knew what he did, though they didn't know much about him. From the obviousness, they wouldn't call anyone in to 'fix' the elevator until a while later. Which was just fine with him.

He let his tongue slip from Taki's mouth, biting his bottom lip with enough pressure so he could feel it. His hands slid down over the front of his shirt after Taki had pushed his jacket off. He liked the feel of the small round buttons, the slightly rough feel of the plain shirt. When he reached the bottom, he yanked the shirt out of his slacks hard.

After that, Tohma didn't care much for personal welfare, little more than what they would look like after this final round. He grasped the two sides of the shirt and pulled hard. The buttons popped off from the bottom up, flying around with sharp clicks as they hit around the elevator.

Releasing Taki's lip, Tohma looked down slightly, breathing ragged as he felt the heat radiate off of the other mans body.

"Do you know what you've been doing to me?" Tohma asked, almost a whisper as his hands traveled back up Taki's now bare front with just his fingertips, pushing the shirt off his shoulders once he reached them. He pressed their hips together hard. "This. All day, everyday. It was you in bed last night, and still, it's not enough. I'm losing my mind, my control... all over you."

Tohma slipped one hand up Taki's neck and buried it into the back of his dark hair, pulling it back fairly hard, exposing the other mans neck and forcing him into a slightly arch, pushing them closer together. The blond bent down and bit hard enough to feel Taki's pulse beat wildly, and sucked hard. He even tasted like everything he wanted.

He _was_ losing his mind.

There was no sound, no tears that could express the way this hurt. Taki knew he was crying, he could feel it. His eyes stung and ached with it, and he squeezed them shut because he hated it. He hated himself for responding that way.

It didn't hurt that much. A few bruises he could handle.

But Tohma wasn't leaving just bruises. His body was shuddering with the force, eyes opening as his head was jerked back by the hair. His lip was swollen, he could feel it if he pressed his tongue against it. The pain in his neck burst and flared, and for a brief, irrational moment, Taki thought he was bleeding.

When the heat kept up and the sharp pain fled, Taki knew he wasn't. He was pliant against the wall, his hips pressed hard to it by Tohma's. His hands were gripping at Tohma's shoulders, and Taki wasn't nearly coherent enough to get the shirt off of them.

"I..." Taki couldn't remember what he was going to say. He couldn't remember what the anger felt like, the hate. There was only this overwhelming throb of Tohma against him, taking without asking. There was only wanting more of it, as much as he could possibly stand.

Tohma tasted the first of the tears as they slipped down the other man's neck. His mouth released its hold on the patch of skin. It was already a bright red, pinpricked with white dots. It would last, and it would be dark.

His tongue flicked out at the gently shining trail of wetness the tear had left in its tracks. He dragged his tongue along and up. Up the curve of Taki's neck. Up the side of Taki's face and over the curve of his cheek until he reached the dark eyes. Tohma kissed each eye briefly, resting close to the other body.

"'I' what, Taki? No smart-mouthed comments? No pushing me away?" he asked, his voice low and husky. "Because you want it too. Have you thought about me too? Tell the truth..."

His voice drifted off into a whisper with the hint of a smile. Which was no surprise. His lips had curled up at the corners, his eyes falling halfway closed. Lustful, powerful, evil... all these things went hand in hand, and Tohma understood why.

Tohma's hand released the tight grip on Taki's hair, and again there was a soft movement of the two hands moving down over the hot, bare skin. One hand teased at a nipple while the other pulled the bottom of his own shirt out of his pants and slowly unbuttoned the shirt.

No reprieve, no time to gather his wits and make himself speak. The tears were getting in the way of breathing, and Taki was gasping wetly, his hands pushing blindly at Tohma's shirt as the buttons came undone. He felt delirious, thought coming slow and distorted through the relentless heat Tohma always seemed to bring.

"I tried to stop..." Taki couldn't breathe, and he heard the words as if somebody else were saying them. His hands touched every bit of Tohma's skin he could reach, smooth and soft and hard all at once. "But I couldn't. I couldn't stop thinking about you."

He knew he was saying it. He could hear the tears in his voice, the bitterness. He wanted to stop. He wanted it to go away. Taki couldn't stand weakness, couldn't stand that Tohma had become one. Tohma was the reason he came to work early every morning and the reason he hid in his office until late every night.

The effort it took to keep himself up was making him shake, and Taki could still feel the heat on his neck as if Tohma had never moved from it. He knew it was the mark, burning and throbbing on his skin. How long would it last? Days? Weeks? Months?

Too long, maybe. If this was their last time, their last chance, Taki wasn't sure he wanted the reminder of what he was walking away from.

But Tohma wanted that reminder there. Like the very building they were in, the blond marked what was his. He considered Taki very much his own coveted, prized possession that he shouldn't have to be without. Or share. Just his to show off and play with and keep with him.

He let Taki's hands fumble across his chest as he finished unbuttoning his shirt. He let both his arms fall to his sides and back slightly to let the shirt fall off his body and to the ground behind him. Tohma watched the other man struggle for everything. Every movement, every word, every thought. It almost reminded him of a fish out of water.

"Why did you want to?" Tohma asked, both his hands grabbing Taki's and halting them. He brought one up to his mouth, and took a finger into it, sucking gently as his tongue worked over it. He watched Taki with almost a rapid fascination as he waited for his answer. Tohma moved to each finger before kissing the center of Taki's palm.

His anger was coming like an ocean. Ebb and flow. Right now it was drawing back for the moment, leaving the other man time to breathe. To think. To answer. Knowing Taki, the answer wouldn't be one Tohma liked and the anger would crash back down and the brief pause would end for another few moments.

There was so much that Taki didn't do anymore. It left his hands sensitive, the same way his entire body was sensitive, particularly to Tohma's touch. He knew he had to be breathing, because his breath caught and he stopped. For a moment, all he could see was Tohma's mouth.

And then the question hit him hard, sunk past the heat, past the delirium.

He didn't want to answer it, but he knew if he didn't, Tohma would make him. "I hate being this way." Taki had to take a deep, shuddering breath, trying to calm his body to an acceptable level. "I hate being dependent, so fucking needy..." He shook his head, eyes narrowing as if he were trying to focus himself.

"I hate needing _you_." Because he didn't need anyone else the way he needed Tohma. No one else could drown him in the overwhelming desire to just be NEAR them. No one else did that, and Taki kept pushing himself away from it, as if the need would go away, disappear with the more distance he put between Tohma and himself.

Tohma didn't like the answer at all. It made him angry just knowing that Taki had been feeling all of this, but he hadn't done anything more than lock himself away. For him to just do nothing but continually push Tohma and push him and push him.

The blond reached at Taki's pants, tugging the button open and yanking down the fly, fingers hooking into the waistband and pulling them down off the slim, barely there hips. He couldn't help himself, too far gone now. The most he could do was make sure Taki wouldn't bleed.

After the pants were open and down, he kept their hips tight together using a small circular motion between them to keep the pleasure running through both of their bodies. He pressed his first three finger against Taki's lips, ordering him to open his mouth and wet them. Tohma didn't exactly carry around lube.

"And how do you think _I_ feel, Taki?" he asked, eyes half closed. Watching Taki work was distracting, but he couldn't pull his eyes away. "I like control. I like knowing that I control everything in my life... and you changed that."

And then what did Taki do? Shut him out completely. It was such a shock to the system. Tohma wasn't used to being denied anything, really. He wasn't spoiled in the brat manner, but he would admit he was used to being spoiled.

He couldn't deny Tohma anything when he had their hips pressed together that way. Taki's lips parted, and he took the fingers into his mouth, enjoying the relief of having the pants off while he could. Soon, he knew, it wouldn't matter if the pants were there or not, he was going to hurt no matter what.

It was hard to concentrate on Tohma's words and his fingers at the same time. Taki wanted to glare, to pull back and snarl some sort of response, but the back of his head was pressed to the wall, and there was no moving.

Taki hated to be controlled, hated thinking that someone else could make his decisions for him. It was half the reason he couldn't stand it in the hospital. He couldn't let someone else take control of his future, of everything that he was.

He certainly wouldn't let Tohma. He would do everything he could to make sure Tohma knew.

"I can't stand how upset you make me when you won't come out of your office. I can't stand how much I hate you when all you do it try to get me away from you," Tohma said quietly, body shuddering because of Taki's mouth around his fingers. His hands tended to be overly sensitive because he restricted them in gloves all the time.

He used his free hand to open his own pants, grinding the two erections together. A choked sigh left him. Tohma nearly felt complete like this, but it wasn't enough to satiate the hunger his body had. And for what? All for this man.

Tohma told Taki to remove at least one shoe before he continued to talk. He liked not having the snappy comebacks from Taki. He liked, once again, having some grip in his life. Over something.

"I hate how much I crave you, and then you shut me out!" he said, anger rising into his face. "Every single time, you denied me. I could've fixed this for the both of us, but no. You didn't let me."

Sucking in a sharp breath through his nose, Taki let out a helpless sound that slipped around Tohma's fingers. Skin on skin, hot and heady, choking him with sounds that he couldn't possibly make. It was hard to think about his shoes when Tohma was pressing them together this way.

Kicking off his shoes, he hoped that when they hit Tohma's legs, they hurt. His eyes were narrowed, and as soon as he felt the fingers begin to move, he turned his head and quickened the process. There was no way he could let Tohma skate by without some demand to know.

Because he had to know.

"How the hell could you have fixed this?" Taki had been trying! He couldn't keep living like this, looking for Tohma around every corner and berating himself with the relief when he found himself alone. He couldn't keep those gloves forever, and he couldn't keep waking up in the middle of the night from dreams of those damn hands.

He couldn't. He had to know.

The defiance was running clear again through Taki, he could tell. Every movement and look was done out of anger and annoyance that Tohma had caused. Normally, Tohma would be confused... maybe even a little upset, but some part of him liked this. This feeling mixed in with the lust that felt so strangely close to power.

His eyes narrowed when he felt Taki's shoes his legs purposely, but he did nothing. They both knew this wasn't stopping, so there was no use in denying each other that much. He pushed Taki's pants down the rest of the way, free hand snaking around to the back of the other mans head, again taking a good hold, pulling Taki's body close to his and away from the wall.

His moistened hand went around to Taki's backside, while he tilted his head close to Taki's ear. A slick digit teased around Taki's entrance for a brief moment until he slid it in with very little ceremony.

"Because," he said, breathing heavily from the collective heat of the room, the exertion of dealing with Taki for the last few days, _and_ as a lover. "Sometimes you need to give in, not push away."

Tohma added another finger, scissoring them quickly.

Give in? Taki's body tensed, and it was good that Tohma was practically holding him up, because his knees went weak. His hands gripped at Tohma's bare shoulders, eyes squeezing shut because he couldn't THINK of giving in, not while Tohma was making his entire body ripple in pain.

But it felt so, so good. Taki shuddered, both from Tohma's voice and the hot air that moved across his neck. He forced his eyes open, though they were narrowed, glaring over Tohma's shoulder and into the empty elevator.

"And what..." God, he couldn't breathe. Taki was gasping, throat burning and his voice sounding hollow in his own ears. "Would happen if I gave in?" His fingers were too tight on Tohma's shoulders, but he didn't care, tensing them more as Tohma's fingers spread jerked at his muscles.

Bastard.

He licked the shell of Taki's ear keeping quiet for the time being. He added the third finger, wincing as Taki gripped his shoulders harder still. The other man had a strong grip. Tohma was surprised.

The blond kept their hips together and hadn't stopped the grinding motion they had going. This man, this man, this man! It was going to be the death of him. Tohma had never once wanted another person so much as he did Taki. There was Eiri, of course, but he had given up on that when Shuichi had come into his life. But Taki was different. Taki... annoying, attractive, an oblivious tease... Tohma didn't like taking no for an answer. Not this time.

Tohma had to make do with what was available, which wasn't much. Once he felt the muscle stretch to its limit, he slipped the fingers out of Taki's body. The other man couldn't argue his weakness. After all, they were trying to hold a conversation while in the middle of sex. Well, Tohma was always good at multi-tasking. He spit into the cupped palm of his hand, using that over his own erection. Not very good, but Taki would have to deal with it for now.

"We could be doing this more and more often," Tohma panted, releasing Taki to push him back against the wall and hike his legs up around his waist. He looked down between their bodies until the head of his erection was lined up with Taki's entrance. "And in a better place... and it wouldn't matter about contracts, or work... ahh..."

He entered while speaking to the singer, thoughts jumping out of order more and more.

Taki let go of Tohma's shoulders as he was pushed against the wall again, his arms hooking around them instead. He knew this was going to hurt, maybe past the point where it could feel good, but he knew better now then before that there was no getting out of it. Not after provoking Tohma the way he had, and not while they were in between floors.

But he wasn't thinking about stopping now. He wasn't thinking about how to get away. All Taki could focus on was the blinding pain of Tohma pushing into him. It hurt more now then it had ever hurt before, because even with Ma, Taki had never been forced to go without lubrication.

Ma was just enough of a pervert to carry it around with him. Taki didn't know if it was points for or against Tohma that Tohma didn't.

Contracts, work... Taki's head fell forward, eyes open just enough that he could see down between them. They could talk later, after they finished. Taki couldn't bring in enough air to think about speaking, body shaking with the effort it was taking him to breathe.

Tohma's hands were resting on Taki's backside, holding him up and against the wall. He could feel every shudder, every gasp, and every _twinge_ Taki made. Mostly, they remained quiet until Tohma's hips pressed against Taki's backside and he made sure to wait and let enough time pass for the other man to adjust.

It was bad enough that they were almost dry, they didn't need to have to make a trip to the hospital later because Tohma was being inattentive. He wouldn't allow it.

"Taki," he hissed, eyes closing tight for a moment. "Tell me you want this as bad as I do..."

It was rare that Tohma would ever _ask_ for reassurance. And if Taki answered in play annoyance of 'no', Tohma would know. He could tell the difference between a real no and play no. He just didn't want the guilt of forcing this entire scenario into being.

If breathing had been hard before, Taki didn't know what it was now. He couldn't possibly imagine speaking, but the words were there, just under the surface. His legs were moving, even though it made his entire body ache, to hook over Tohma's hips and hold himself up. It gave Tohma a free hand, one that Taki could only hope at the uses for.

It was a pity he wasn't much of a hoper.

But, he was nodding blearily, eyes narrowed against the pain, though he had long ago grown used to it. The entry had been harsh, ill prepared and too fast, but it was easy to adjust to once he convinced himself that the pain was good, that it was worth it.

After all, sometimes it was just better to give in, right?

Of course it fucking wasn't.

"I need this..." Taki murmured thickly, his arms tightening around Tohma's shoulders as he shifted his hips purposefully.

Taki was more tight than usual because of the rush and lack of preparation. It felt like the heat only one appendage was encased in, had a grip around his entire body. He felt himself starting to sweat lightly already. It was driving him insane.

But Taki didn't just want this, he said he _needed_ it. Tohma was liking that word more and more. Needing. He needed this feeling. He needed this body pressed close to his.

His breath hitched as Taki shifted, either proving that he was ready, or he just wanted to get it done and over with. Tohma hated to think that Taki was still just trying to get rid of him as quickly as possible. The blond held to the smaller man tightly as he pulled out slowly until just the head rested inside, and then snapped his hips forward.

The moan nearly choked him as it rose in his throat, coming out broken and disjointed. Taki's eyes stung, but it wasn't because of the pain. But it hurt, it hurt so much his body felt as if it were burning and drowning at the same time. Drowning in a fire that he couldn't put out, not with anything.

And Tohma was that fire. It was green, eating him whole and never letting him go. Possessive. Claiming. It only grew worse the more Taki struggled against it.

But he wasn't struggling now. No, not at all. He was more then willing to press his hips down against Tohma's, he wanted that pain, he wanted everything Tohma could give him right now, because he couldn't imagine living without this. Living without this man.

Taki had never wanted to give into anything so much as he did now.

Tohma loved the discord sound from Taki's throat. Singer or not, he was only perfect when he couldn't sing like he was trained to. The off key moans, the voice cracking yells, the flat sobs, the jerky breathing.

If the blond could make a CD of his best singers during sex, he was sure it would break every record this building had. But this was only for him. Taki's voice was only his now. He didn't care who'd had it before, no one else would have it now. He didn't want it any other way.

He wrapped his free hand around Taki's erection, pumping his hand counterpoint to his thrusts. It was hard with him standing up, and his legs were trembling softly, rolling up to the balls of his feet at every thrust, but it was worth it to push those sounds out of Taki.

He would have been able to control himself if it wasn't for that hand. Always those hands. Taki tensed his arms, his hips moving to push the speed of their thrusts harder. His head fell back against the wall, but he didn't feel the pain as it connected with a dull _thunk!_ It didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was keeping Tohma inside him.

Keeping Tohma with him.

He couldn't keep himself quiet, though. Taki never could, had never been able to. His hips angled to guide Tohma to that one spot that never failed him, and his body tightened in response, a louder moan leaving him. He needed this. He needed it so, so much.

He'd always needed it.

It took too much effort for him to raise his head. Taki couldn't make himself do it, but he wanted a kiss. One that could match the way he felt inside, hot and chaotic. But he couldn't make himself move for it, couldn't bring his head up from where it had fallen against the wall.

Tohma kept pace with Taki, groaning as he shifted and tightened up periodically. The blond had found that rhythm was a way to smooth tension in the mind. That's why music worked so well. That's why sex could be so mind numbing addictive.

Right now, all Tohma could focus on was the smooth rhythmic motion between their bodies. How they worked together with each other. It was as though repetitive motions caused a rut in the mind that one could fall into forever and never think of anything else again. But, Taki seemed to bring that on ten times more.

Looking at Taki's face as it contorted with exertion and pleasure, mouth agape and between pants and moan, cheek high in color, hair sticking to his forehead, damp with sweat, a light sheen over his entire face and dried tracks left by the tears. He was beautiful. Tohma leaned over, catching Taki's lips with his own. The buildup of pressure in his chest seemed to have no other way to release itself, but to force out into Taki.

The kiss. God, the kiss! It was hard with the constant movement of their lower bodies, but so, so worth it. Taki slid a hand to the back of Tohma's neck as his lips parted, eyes squeezing shut as the thrusts began to border again on that point between pain and pleasure.

It was almost enough to make him cry again, but he forced it back. He had to force it back, because he couldn't let Tohma see how much this really meant to him.

His body was starting to tighten, the constant abuse of his prostate too much for him to handle. His stomach was locking, tensing to make the thrusts harder to control. He couldn't draw in enough breath, and it was obvious by the way the kiss suffered.

But he wouldn't let Tohma break it. His fingers tightened on Tohma's neck to keep him in place, even as his body began to shake with the force it took to hold himself back.

He wasn't quite ready for this to end.

The legs around his waist tightened and shook, but he couldn't pull back from the kiss. Taki's fingers flexed and dug in almost painfully. He let Taki do what he wanted with it. Splitting attention between the kiss and keep his body moving was hard.

He could feel the pain Taki was putting himself through, making sure never to skip a beat. He wanted the other man to come, and he wanted Taki to enjoy it. Because he wanted to keep Taki. He wanted to keep him however he knew to make it happen.

But Tohma could feel himself start to slowly lock down. It was an effort to keep himself moving. He paused every now and then to hold himself back, but little by little, it wasn't starting to help.

He had to break the kiss. Taki couldn't get enough air through his nose, and his body was starting to buckle. He couldn't take any more of this, and that was made obvious by the way his back arched as Tohma pushed in again, and he came with a force that only Tohma had ever urged from him.

It made his skin prickle, feel like it would boil from the heat that rushed over it. He couldn't ever let Tohma go, not if this was what it was like to be with him. Not if he had this sort of abandon to look forward to.

But just sex...

What a fucking waste.

The moment Taki released his body from everything, Tohma tried to let him ride it out as long his own body could take. But the way Taki pressed into his body, and how he released with so much force he nearly shook, Tohma couldn't hold himself back.

He pushed himself into Taki completely, having to lean him further against the wall as his own orgasm took over, draining from his body and into Taki. He rode out the waves into the pressing heat of the contained elevator, body feeling heavier and more leavened as the waves died down.

Panting, he leaned into Taki's neck, feeling too hot for comfort, but too tired to move. It was always explosive with Taki, just like his temper.

"It's not going to be just sex." Taki warned breathlessly, his head resting on Tohma's shoulder. He spoke as if he were continuing the conversation, which he was, in a sense. They'd skipped some, sure, like the part where they agreed that neither of them could walk away from the other.

Taki was just going to assume it was an unspoken agreement. It was better that way. He hated admitting weaknesses aloud, and to him, this was still quite the weakness.

He couldn't quite bring himself to call it anything else.

But whatever was between them, it couldn't stay as only sex. It wouldn't. Taki wouldn't admit it, not to himself and not to Tohma, but he knew it was already past sex. He couldn't be content just being near Tohma if it were only sex.

"I didn't want it to just be sex," Tohma sighed, letting his tongue dart out at Taki's neck on impulse. "You pushed me away, Taki."

Though, Tohma couldn't be helped if the times they spent together got them riled up into situations like this. But the fact that they were here and now they were more than a contract.

"But it doesn't matter now," Tohma said, feeling tired. "Because I want you. I want this."

He needed someone like Taki. Someone to keep him feeling alive and break him out of his life. He wouldn't let it end here.

Taki wanted this, too. He didn't want it to be constant fighting (though he knew this wasn't anywhere near the end of it), or simply sex... It had to be something different. There had to be effort from both of them.

Eventually, even he got fed up with running away and had to face what he was running from. He'd just never had it catch up to him so quickly.

Blinking his eyes open, unaware of when they'd shut, Taki rested his chin on Tohma's shoulder. He was still leaning most of his weight against the wall, and it was a good thing that Tohma was still holding him up. His legs felt weak and loose, like water.

"We're still in the elevator." His voice sounded dazed, as if he'd only just realized it.

Tohma shook slightly with laughter. "Yes... we're still in the elevator." Taki seemed to be experiencing post-coital bliss in a delayed manner. He was tired and wanted to keep his hold on Taki, as if he'd disappear once this was over.

Unfortunately, his body didn't want to do it anymore. Slowly, he eased himself out of Taki, and nudged his legs to unhook from his waist. Once Taki's feet were on the floor, he eased both of them down, pulling Taki into his lap, not caring about anything staining the slacks he hadn't bothered to remove.

Arms wrapping around Taki's middle, he held him close.

"Don't laugh at me." Taki winced as he was set on his feet, though there was something not entirely serious in his voice. He didn't mind if Tohma laughed at him, not really. That wasn't malicious laughter, it seemed somehow softer.

And that made it okay.

He groaned as he was eased down, though, the movement making him ache deep inside. It was a relief to rest against Tohma, though he forced himself to reach and pull his pants on, zipping the zipper but leaving the button. He didn't care about that, so long as he was covered.

He knew there were cameras in the elevators, though it seemed a little late for modesty.

Sighing, he let himself rest against Tohma again, head tucking under Tohma's chin. It just felt so comfortable to sit this way. So right.

"I think I'm going to pull overtime." He mumbled, eyes shutting.

_Author's Notes: I really love elevators. . I can't say much right now, because I'm damn tired. I'll do it next chapter. Hope everyone's having a great day! Maybe even as good as these two. Man, I wish._

_Drop us a line!_

_SL_


	52. Chapter 52

_Disclaimer: Opium._

_Author's Notes: I'm so tired, guys. I'm sorry this is up late. I JUST woke up. We all had a late night of Guitar Hero. Again. XD But now I've got it at my house, and I'm setting it up after this so I can rock out, man. Totally. I'm gonna bust out some crazy mad meduim play! Woo!_

_Anon, thanks again for the review. This should answer your eagerness. YAY!_

_Kel's still taking a breather from the sequel. And we were getting to a part that I randomly thought of! A little disappointing, but I understand. Also, to answer the questions about BAD LUCK and reporters... um, we're dumb and didn't think of it. Seriously. I guess we figured after two years the hype died down a bit. Now that it's mentioned, it would've made the story ten times more interesting. I feel dumb. Oh well!_

_Enjoy!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Fifty-Two_

_Haido froze as he heard those words again. Again from the same man he'd been working for the whole last week. Trying to get back into his good graces. Why did he freeze up now? Wasn't this what he had wanted? Really, when he though about it, what had he been working for if not a relationship? _

"I...," he stopped. What if this all went downhill from here? What if this ruined the band? What if Keiko decided to kill him!? "I...loveyoutoo."

There. Said and done.

It could have made him angry, but Kenji woke with the same rush of relief he'd felt when he heard it over the phone. That was all he'd needed to hear, because somehow, it settled everything that had been pent up inside him. It didn't matter what Haido had done during sex.

Keiko had definitely proved that to him.

Opening his eyes blearily, Kenji recognized the sound of Kenichi's guitar playing from his television. It took him a moment to realize where he was and what had happened, but when he did, he was smiling.

Haido looked so cute asleep. He wondered how often he'd stayed up over the week.

Their relationship now was something they hadn't made official, and that was fine with Kenji. Haido knew he loved him, and he felt secure with what Haido had said. That was all they needed to know, wasn't it?

He shifted down to rest his head on Haido's chest, one arm wrapping around his waist.

Haido shifted in his sleep as much as his body could. He was in a slightly awkward position. He was aware of a warm weight on top of him, but didn't think on it. He was comfortable with it.

But the loud cheering from the TV woke him up with a slight start. After realizing where he was, he relaxed again, looking down at Kenji' resting on his chest. He smiled, able to feel more comfortable with this when no one else, not even his partner, was aware.

Haido ran a thin hand through the bright red hair, the other rest around Kenji's shoulders. He didn't know why, but he had a hard time with strong feelings. He didn't like the enclosed feelings. The personal space that became invaded with strong feelings.

"Sorry if I'm not everything you want," he said quietly. After all, he was Kenji's first boyfriend. "I'm... going to make a lot of mistakes. I'm an idiot. Just don't sic Keiko on me for it."

He figured that Kenji was asleep, so it was safe to say these things.

Kenji was comfortable, and Haido's hand slipping through his hair was soothing. His eyes shut, blocking out the retreating figure of Kenichi Ito on the screen. The DVD was over, but Kenji wasn't paying any attention to it anymore.

Because Haido was talking to him. Judging by the tone, he wasn't sure Haido knew he was awake.

But he couldn't make himself stay silent. Slowly, he pushed himself up, turning his head to press a kiss to the corner of Haido's mouth. "I won't. I'll make a lot of mistakes, too."

He'd never had a girlfriend, Haido was his first boyfriend... Keiko was really his only friend. He didn't know how to act in a relationship, or even how one worked. He knew he'd end up stepping on Haido's toes a lot, and would probably drive him to the brink of insanity, but Kenji was really going to try.

This had to work out. He had a lot invested in Haido.

His eyes went wide as Kenji sat up and kissed him. Shit, shit, shit. Not good. Haido didn't want Kenji to know the things he'd said! That's why he thought he'd been asleep! Wonderful. Feelings. Gah... squishy ones.

"I... uh, well... the... look, Kenichi's doing that... thing he does," Haido stuttered, not even looking at the TV. Ah, he was hopeless. Seriously, horribly hopeless.

Crap. This was going to end badly. He had a feeling that Kenji was a complete opposite of him. Where as he didn't want all the big feelings out there, Kenji _would_ want them out there. Shit.

It was actually kind of cute. Kenji was smiling, and he didn't glance back at the screen. "Haido, the DVD's playing the menu." Yes, patiently waiting to be turned off, because they'd slept right through the recorded concert.

He really did want Haido to relax. He didn't think admitting their feelings now, after the great big one they'd already managed twice, had to be such a big deal. Haido was so wound up about it, too, and somehow, it wasn't really surprising to Kenji.

Haido didn't exactly seem like the kind of guy to be totally open about the way he felt.

That was okay, though. It would just take some getting used to, right? It wasn't fair to expect everyone to be just like him.

Kenji reached up to brush a small bit of hair back from Haido's face, most of his weight braced on the cushion that seemed dangerously close to falling off the couch. His poor, old, beat up couch. He'd gotten it from his parents when he'd moved out, the same one that had sat in their living room since he was a child.

"I don't want to rush this, okay? I love you." He felt his face heat, a rush of blood to one location. "That's not going to change just because we're going to make mistakes."

He flushed at his mistake about the TV. Damnit. Stupid Kenichi Ito for not playing a longer concert! It wasn't like he didn't _want_ to be open with Kenji. He did. That was good in relationships. At least it was this week. Who knew about next week. He just... bad times. He figured staying in control was to keep oneself in check.

And now Kenji was being cute and blushing like that... shit. Haido wasn't sure what to do. One part of him wanted to be an idiot and grin and hug Kenji. But the other part of him really, really felt like running away and hiding in a small, dark closet.

"Ah... yeah," he said quietly, eyes averted. "I love you too..."

It felt so weird saying that to someone else outside his family again.

So, it hurt a little. Maybe a lot. Kenji was trying really, really hard to be good about it. He knew Haido was awkward, he'd heard it over the phone and whenever they came close to this point. He knew Haido was awkward, and he was trying to give him space.

But it wasn't easy. Especially when Haido wouldn't look at him when he said it.

So, when faced with an uncomfortable situation, what did Kenji revert back to? Music. A safe, easy medium for both of them.

"Have you heard Kotani Kinya's cover of Mr. D? I think I like that version better than Iceman's." Because that was a song written and performed by Kenichi Ito, and it had totally cut Rin out. That wasn't exactly fair, especially not when Rin had such a great voice.

"No, I haven't heard it," Haido said, trying to make the uncomfortable feeling go away. It was hard! Everything was almost new and it was hard to make it happen again. "I thought you loved Iceman... how could a cover compare?"

Right? Kenji loved Iceman? He figured it had to be true... he did have a lot of Iceman CDs. It seemed odd that he would choose a cover over a favorite.

But this was avoiding something big. He was thankful to Kenji for it, but it wasn't right. How was Haido going to work through it if they kept avoiding it, or making excuses?

"Kenji, wait," Haido said, interrupting any answer, shaking his head. He rubbed his eyes briefly. "I'm sorry... I'm not... good with these things. I mean, thank you for switching the subject, but it's not right."

It was unfair to Kenji.

"I don't know what IS right." Kenji was making a face, because he really hated not knowing what he was doing. And this, right here, this had to be the first of his preordained mistakes. It certainly seemed so, and maybe for both of them. "I don't want to make this worse for you."

Because he knew he could be overwhelming. He was everything a Japanese man wasn't supposed to be. He wasn't reserved, he made a point to tell people how he felt, he interrupted conversations and often forgot to apologize, he made it too obvious when he didn't like something or someone, and, well...

He was gay. There would be no continuation of the Sonoda family, and that was against everything he'd heard since childhood.

Sighing, he flopped back onto the couch, looking up at Haido from where his head had hit the cushion. "What do you want me to do?" Because he'd do it if he could.

Now that was a tough question. What did he want Kenji to do? Well... there were some various ways to answer that, but mind out of the gutter it was a little more difficult. He didn't want to restrict Kenji. That wasn't how he wanted the other man. But he didn't want to hurt him. It seemed all too much like Kenji might end up another number added to the relationships, Haido'd killed before.

He wormed his way across the couch and over to Kenji. He didn't want the other man mad at him. Not so soon! Gods, what a new record that would be. But, he wanted this smoothed over so they could stand a chance.

"I want you to be you, Kenji," Haido said, easing up to the other man, laying on top of him, practically. "And I'm sorry if I hurt you... I'm trying. Really, I'm trying. It's hard though."

Kenji brought his arms up to wrap around Haido's waist. He was still making his, "I'm not happy with myself," face, but it was distinctly softened now. Finally, he sighed again, the frown in his unhappy face deepening.

Maybe it would have been better if he'd stayed 'asleep.'

"I know it's hard, but I don't think you should be the only one who's trying." He was trying, too. He was trying not to be so sensitive about it. "You don't have to say it back every time I do." The frown slipped away, and Kenji felt himself give a little smile. "You'll never stop saying it if you do."

He was a very affectionate boy. There was nothing he could do to change that. He was the kind of person to make his lover a bad lunch and leave them a note apologizing profusely, even though it was all in the thought.

"See?" Haido said, looking up at Kenji. "That's what you want though... and it- I mean..."

It scared him. Having a relationship was one thing, but when strong emotions got involved, it was scary! Because then there was moving in together, then living together for a long period of time and then huge fights, arguing over who gets the cat...

Maybe he was getting ahead of himself just a bit here...

The smile was gone, and Kenji's frown was back, but it wasn't the same as the last one. He was looking distinctly displeased, and he made it clear by flicking Haido hard in the side. He didn't want to hit him because hitting seemed a little too Keiko-esque.

"Stop, okay? I want you to be you, and if being you is going to take some time so you can get used to this, then take the time. I promise I won't get like... depressed or something if it takes us a little while to be comfortable together."

Nothing was perfect when it started out. Opium hadn't been. Not at all, and then they'd added Haido, and things had gotten better.

Kenji's eyes widened just enough to be noticeable.

Oh, fuck. The band! After everything, he couldn't let them down now. "What day is it?" He thought their earlier conversation had reached a suitable enough point to change the subject.

He really hoped Haido understood what he meant.

Haido blinked, taken by surprise as Kenji switched topics again.

"Um...,"he thought for a second. "Thursday? Thursday."

Yep, Thursday. One more day until Friday, which meant the weekend was coming up! No more work, time to relax...

"Shit! The band! Work! Taki!" Haido said, pushing himself up over Kenji on his hands. "You! Damnit. We can worry about this later. Keiko'll kill both of us if she goes into work and finds out Opium isn't together anymore because we _forgot!_"

He scrambled off the couch, reaching for his keys on the table.

"Shoes. Car. Now."

Oh, they were so screwed! Damnit!

She would kill them, and Kenji thought it was pretty bad that he thought Haido ordering him around like that was hot. He had no time for that! There was no time at all! Thursday. God, how could they have forgotten?

Kenji wanted to hit himself.

Ooh, and WHERE were his shoes?

Fuck it! He had different shoes, and this was so much of an emergency, he didn't care if they gave him blisters. This was his band (yes, HIS. He made it, but he didn't want to be the one to let it fall apart), his life, he couldn't let that all go just because he'd forgotten.

This wasn't like homework. He couldn't turn it in late.

He was off the couch before he realized it, pushing his feet into the first shoes that he recognized as his. He didn't pull the old, fraying sweater over his head. In fact, he wasn't thinking about it, he was already back at the table, barely taking the time to shut off the TV.

"Let's go!"

Haido rushed over to the door, stumbling to yank his shoes on, nearly falling over himself to get out the door. It wasn't like they wouldn't be in late, but the rush was still there and the blood and adrenaline was pumping. No need to stop now.

Pulling open the door, he pulled Kenji along with him and out to his car. That took a second (he forgot to hit unlock and pulled the handle, cursing for a bit) but soon they were in the car.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit," Haido muttered, hitting the steering wheel each time as they were stuck at a red light. "I can't believe this... how could we forget that we have a band!?"

"Stupidity." Kenji nodded as he said it, because he could already hear Keiko yelling at them. And they weren't even there yet! He knew they were safe until tomorrow, though, because Keiko was probably at home, asleep and hung over.

Well, maybe not hung over, but definitely asleep.

And he knew that they had no time for this, and there really was no cause, but he couldn't help but think it. Haido was sooooooooo attractive when he was angry and just a little bit aggressive. Kenji would have reached over to let him know if the light hadn't changed just after he'd spoken.

Haido pressed the gas pedal down, never easing up as they wove their way between cars on the road. It was the _worst_ time to be driving. The traffic was horrible, and he though he knew he didn't need to rush, he had an urge to do so.

"Stupidity... yeah, that sounds right," he muttered, making the turn into the parking lot of N-G. "Damnit... parking all the way in the back. Shit."

He had to slow down, cruising through the lines of cars, eventually finding a spot to park.

"Out." he said, pulling the keys from the ignition, unfastening the seatbelt and climbing out of the car.

Ooh, and there Haido went with the orders again. It really wasn't fair, not at all, that Haido could be that tempting when they had the threat of losing everything hanging over their heads. Kenji bit at his lip as he got out of the car, shutting the door behind him.

His hands slipped into the pocket of his sweater and he realized belatedly that he had done something he had resolved years ago never to do. It wasn't necessarily something that made sense, but he never wore his sweaters out of his apartment.

Dammit.

He didn't take Haido's hand as they walked toward the building, because he wasn't sure if Haido's mood would allow it. Kenji was a hand holding guy, but he had a good sense of self preservation. At least, when it was important.

Haido was a bit too focused on the many issues they were having with their jobs to really pay close attention to Kenji. Otherwise he would've realized he was wearing the sweater. Keiko told him he never wore them outside his place. He would've noticed how strangely quiet Kenji was being as well. Not quiet, but... odd.

"One of them had better be here still," he said, talking to no one in particular. "This is insane. We're complete idiots. Jeeze."

Raking his hands through his hair, he held the door open for Kenji, following quickly after. Straight to the elevator. He hit the up button. Nothing. He didn't even hear a ding for any floors above it. Leaning close to the doors, he listened. Damnit!

"You've got to be kidding me! The elevator's out!" Haido said, feeling very, very frustrated. "Come on. Stairs."

He grabbed Kenji's arm and stalked off towards the stairs.

He shouldn't have been thinking that if this was all it took to get Haido so flustered and demanding, they needed to hold off on deadlines more often. Kenji let Haido pull him up the stairs, up so many flights it felt as if his legs were going to fall off.

Damn this building! And damn Taki and Tohma for having offices on the top floor!

They were reaching the floor that held Taki's office, and dimly, Kenji heard the elevator sound. His eyes widened, then narrowed dramatically, because he'd just been forced up countless stairs, and the elevator was WORKING?

What kind of bullshit was that?

When they rounded the corner, Kenji was suddenly very aware that they'd just found something they weren't supposed to. Taki was leaning heavily against Tohma, the obviousness of what they'd been doing glaring at them through dark, tired eyes.

_Author's Notes: Ahahaha! We were laughing so hard when the end of this scene came up. I mean, seriously, what the hell do you do when you just see this? Alright, time for some GH. ROCK ON PEOPLE!_

_Drop us a line._

_SL_


	53. Chapter 53

_Disclaimer: Wooo!_

_Author's Notes: The good news is, I can totally rock Guitar Hero on meduim play. The bad news is, it's snow/hailing out here in Jersey, so I can't really do anything today. And I would kill to have GH back on a day like today. It's nasty._

_Jo-Jo and Anon thank you both for asking and bringing up such thoughtful points in your reviews. It's most definately appreciated. To answer some of your questions, Jo-Jo, I may need a little info from Kel. She's the one who plays Taki, not I. And as far as Hadio goes, I'm sorry to say that this is about as much information as we get on him. I've mentioned in past A/Ns that I didn't get much on him. It's true. With Keiko and Kenji, things came very naturally about them. Haido was locked up. I'm still taking a stab in the dark and saying he had a very bad long term relationship, but I don't know for sure. It seems he lives alone, his father left when he was young (mentioned briefly in one chapter) and I'm assuming his mother may not be around anymore. That's just what I get from it, but there's nothing clear._

_I know this is a problem, but if you remember the chapter where we did get a little insight on him, it was crammed and forced and... honestly, I really hated how it came out. Apparently, he didn't want it to be known, and forcing doesn't help anything. I think the one reason we didn't mind leaving him how he was, was because the entire band of Opium wasn't supposed to be a large part of this story. Keep in mind this was supposed to be a one shot between Tohma and Taki. Things got complicated and fun._

_As far as Taki goes, I'm going to have to take a stab in the dark based on things Kel's mentioned and said about Taki previous. He's impulsive, self centered (to a point), dramatic, loud... a lot of things that aren't exactly honorable. I personally don't get the feel that he regrets his actions from back then. It's like Tohma. They did what they had to, what they thought was right. Taki hasn't changed all that much from back then. He still has his hissy fit days. He seems to have grown up quite a lot, and maybe it's to fend off any guilt, but he doesn't seem to think on it much._

_I'll be sure to get Kel's take as soon as I can._

_Until then, enjoy the next chapter!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Fifty-Three_

Taki's shirt was ripped, barely held together by maybe one button, or two. They'd made an attempt at covering it up, but it wasn't much of one, and Kenji was suddenly struck by how _small_ Tohma looked without his jacket. Taki's movements as they stopped walking to face the band members were slow and awkward, like it hurt to move his legs too far apart.

Kenji knew how that felt. It made his skin heat to think about why, too.

Tohma readjusted his arm around Taki's waist to make sure the other man didn't have to put too much weight on his own legs. He was sure that Taki would need to rest in the blond's office for a while. But they had dressed slowly in the elevator, Tohma helping Taki more than the other man would probably have liked to admit, and finished the lift up.

They had exited the lift when Tohma heard footsteps almost running up the stairs. He halted their progress, turning around slowly to watch as Haido burst onto the floor breathing audible, Kenji dragged right behind.

Tohma smiled pleasantly, pretending as though nothing was out of the ordinary. Taki's shirt? A minor wardrobe malfunction. His legs? Ah, wouldn't you know it? They had given out again. Tohma's jacket? He went without this morning.

"Good morning! I must say, I almost can't believe what I'm seeing," the blond said, laughing lightly. "Ah, but there's that hair again, so it must be true. Sonoda-san, I take it your arrival back in this building signifies something?"

Tohma didn't want to be ignoring Taki, but unfortunately it had to be done. He didn't know how Taki wished to handle this in front of the band, but he had to be business at the moment.

Taki forced himself to stand up straight, even though it hurt to put the pressure on his legs. He was still noticeably leaning against Tohma, but he wasn't slouching anymore, and it was all too clear in his facial expression that he was trying to make himself carry his own wait, and he was not at all happy with Haido and Kenji's timing.

What didn't show on his face was how relieved he was to see them back.

Kenji was nodding, trying hard to ignore the look on Taki's face because it was making him uncomfortable. He had to resist the urge to reach over and grab Haido's hand, because he didn't know how Haido felt about doing that in front of people they knew.

Though, he had a feeling they wouldn't be at all surprised. His skin felt itchy as he remembered looking over Haido's shoulder from the floor to see Taki and Tohma standing in the doorway to their formerly private studio.

That had been absolutely horrible.

"I didn't quit the band..." Kenji couldn't quite get himself to look up at Tohma, because he was sure everything he was thinking was right there in his face. "I just took a break." An extended break.

Tohma let Taki shift as he pleased, not dropping his arm from around his waist. He couldn't help but smile at the two young men before him. Haido shook his head at Kenji's words, cradling his head in one hand. Kenji looked extremely uncomfortable.

"I see," Tohma said with a smile. "Can I assume your break is now over and we can expect you back to work?"

"Absolutely, Seguchi-san," Haido said, jumping in before Kenji could say anything else. "We'll all be back to work and ready to make up for anything we've missed. Right?"

He looked over at Kenji, nudging him slightly with his arm. Waiting for him to agree.

Kenji shot Haido a look that said he could speak for himself, thank you very much. But, he nodded, only managing to glance at Tohma and Taki before he was looking away again. "Right."

Taki was standing on his own, and didn't seem at all bothered by Tohma's arm around his waist. And, really, he wasn't. He liked the way it felt, and though he would never admit it, he was glad that the support was there if he needed it. He had a feeling he was going to need it fairly soon.

"And you'll let Keiko know." He added, voice rough with misuse. He would have glared at Tohma, but it was hardly Tohma's fault that he couldn't control his volume.

Kenji nodded, not even daring to look up at Taki. He could almost feel the heat throb in his cheeks.

Haido nodded, silently agreeing. He'd been more worried about his job to notice his bosses, but when Taki spoke, his eyes widened just slightly and he took in their current states.

Oh... OOOOH... that's why the elevator hadn't been working. Oh jeeze. Bad timing. Really bad timing.

Tohma couldn't help but chuckle silently at their faces. Haido seemed to have joined the rest of the class and was all caught up. They were so very awkward, but their effort was admirable.

"Well, then, Taki?" he asked, looking over at the other man. "When should we have them all return to work?"

It was just a small incline, a tilt of his head so he could see Tohma without craning his neck. Taki still hated their height difference, and he was sure Tohma knew it. It was something that was going to take him a long time to get over.

"Tomorrow." After all, they'd missed six days of work. They needed to start again as soon as possible.

Nearly a whole week off... Taki was going to work them like hell.

Kenji almost protested. He was opening his mouth to do it when he realized what could really happen. Clamping his mouth shut, he nodded again. It was easier to agree then to argue it out, especially when he couldn't get himself to look at them.

"Of course," Tohma agreed. "A man who knows his job. But if you can barely walk tomorrow, stay in and I'll work them in your place."

Taki knew he was fully capable of such a threat. And he would make sure they would be spending the night together, so he could make sure Taki either stayed home, or came to work safely. He looked back at the band members again, still smiling.

"Well then, it seems Opium's first concert will still be on schedule."

Haido was about to give a large grin when Tohma continued speaking.

"If, they can manage to put out the CD which was supposed to be finished by... oh, well, today, if they can finish it by... next Wednesday," Tohma said, looking at Taki for confirmation that this was fine.

After all, he was the manager, and their contracted stated that he could argue any request. Tohma could override it, but if Taki didn't think they could do it, seriously couldn't do it, Tohma would allow them the time they would need.

"Are you serious?" Haido asked, feeling completely horrified.

Taki's grin was hard, but almost gleeful. He loved the indignation, and the way Kenji's eyes had widened. It took everything he had not to laugh.

"Absolutely."

It was perfect justice to watch Kenji struggle with himself, and Taki could almost SEE the thought process. Kenji knew it was his fault they were behind schedule, and he knew they would have to pull double hours to finish the CD by Wednesday.

And Taki knew that Kenji didn't think putting the CD back was worth putting back the concert, which led to reluctant agreement.

The smile on his face when he looked at Haido was forced, strained and trying hard to be confident. "We can do it! That's five days. We'll just have to come in over the weekend."

Keiko was going to kill him.

"I can see why Keiko beats you now," Haido sighed. "I think she's trying to knock the sense _in_, not _out_."

"You know," Tohma said quietly to Taki. "Right then... Sonoda reminded me a little of Shindou. I think they'll do it, Taki."

"Alright... so then, what should we do now?" Haido asked. "Spend the rest of our last day off doing nothing... or working?"

Of course, working would be the smartest choice, but Tohma had to stop that right off the bat. Neither Taki or himself was in any shape to work with such a group at the time being.

"I'm sorry, but we haven't scheduled any studio time yet, so today won't work. I suggest breaking the news to the third member... and beg to be able to walk away."

They would do it, whether it was by their own volition or Taki's. It didn't matter whose, because the CD was going to get recorded and on the shelves by Thursday. Wednesday was their day of grace, the breath of relief as they watched the tracks go off to be layered onto CD after CD over night.

And by Friday, Taki fully expected his desk to be swamped with paperwork. He wasn't entirely sure he was looking forward to it.

In fact, his job had just become a whole lot harder.

Kenji groaned, looking as if he wanted to bury his face in Haido's neck. It was obvious by the way his face scrunched, and he'd even begun to turn toward the smaller man. But, he held himself in check. With all the seriousness he could gather in his lanky frame, he turned to Haido.

"I really hope you can lift more then you weigh, because she's going to kill me." Cut him up in little pieces, light him on fire, and laugh as she stashed him in the walls.

Haido sighed, looking physically tired now, but smiled up at Kenji. He was cute when he was scared out of his mind. Aw, how could he resist? It sucked that he was shorter than Kenji. He put his arms around the other man's waist hugging him.

"How about something to eat first, and then we'll go talk to her," Haido suggested. "We'll bring her something for a bribe."

It was better than nothing.

"Wonderful, wonderful," Tohma said pleasantly. "We'll see you tomorrow."

With that, he eased more of Taki's weight onto himself and helped the other man walk to his office, fully prepared to lay him out on the overstuffed couch there and spoil him a little for the rest of the day.

_Author's Notes: When I look back on this chapter, it seems like nothing more than a bit of gone on too long comedy. Just making Kenji and Haido uncomfortable was fun, though. But if you noticed anything, we now have an official deadline for Opium's CD. With that in mind, contracts, drama and obligations... let's see what will happen. _

_Drop us a line!_

_SL_


	54. Chapter 54

_Disclaimer: Don't we get it yet?!_

_Author's Notes: So, we've had some loops and dramatic points the last few chapters. Wonderful! Tohma and Taki seem to have made some sort of breakthrough. I can't touch on that anymore... at least not for another few chapters. Haido and Kenji have both come to awkward terms on whatever it is that they are, and Opium seems to be getting back on track. Neat!_

_This is a bit of a filler chapter. We get to see some more personal interaction with Keiko and the new couple. Nothing big, but Keiko just really doesn't like Haido at the moment. Since all this upset, really._

_Enjoy!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Fifty-Four_

Kenji was nervous. He'd pulled off his sweater in the car, and it hadn't made him much more comfortable. But now they were sitting in Keiko's living room, and she was just _staring_ at them. Staring. She hadn't reached to throw anything, or gotten up to hit him...

Just staring.

It was fucking unnerving.

"Kei...?" Kenji ventured after a long minute of silence. "You know we can do it by Wednesday. We've almost had a full week off now." Kenji was kind of looking forward to getting back to work.

"Sh-sh-sh," Keiko said, holding up a hand at him. Haido stared, not sure what he could do to help this. But Keiko looked frightening. She was looking at them... but not. She hadn't even reached for a cigarette, and if Haido's watch was correct, they'd been here for at least fifteen, twenty minutes. Weird.

"Alright," she said. The word seemed to break the silence as if it had been a shout. "So... because you two idiots screwed around, we have five days left to finish the CD that should already be done?"

"Aaah... yeah. Pretty much."

"Why Kenji?" she asked, shoulders lifting in an odd, scoffing laugh. "Why do you do these things? Why do I get involved?!"

She fell over, pulling a pillow over her face. WHY HER?! After screaming into the pillow for a good, long minute, she removed it, gasping, and sat up enough to chuck it at Haido and Kenji.

"Idiots! Damnit..."

"You get involved because you're my best friend, and I need you." Kenji told her, trying to dodge and catch the pillow at the same time. He ended up pressing it against Haido's shoulder, and made a face as he put his hand in a warm, damp spot.

Ew...

"I really think we can do it, Kei." He did. He didn't think there was anything that could get in the way of fulfilling a dream. Not after working so hard to make it possible.

They could do it. He had to believe that, or he wouldn't be able to try.

"I'm not saying we _can't_," Keiko snapped, lighting up a cigarette. "Did I ever say that? Did you hear me say that?"

She inhaled deeply and exhaled a plume of quickly dissipating grey smoke. This was pissing her off. She didn't know why she had to bust _her_ hump just cause those morons couldn't work everything out sooner.

"I don't have a choice in the long run, do I?" Keiko growled, sucking hard on the filter. "No... no, I don't. Fine. When do we have to be in tomorrow?"

Goddamnit! She was going to work them so fucking hard come tomorrow. Kenji had better get his coffee fix _before_ they got to N-G.

Kenji made a face, "Early." Which meant, of course, the time they always went in. But Kenji had gotten used to sleeping in and waking up when he wanted to, and the prospect of seven o'clock was not at all appealing.

He really couldn't wait until Tohma and Taki realized what a sick hour it was.

And he could tell already that if he was late, Keiko was going to murder him. Or have him murdered. He didn't think she would pass on the joy of beating him into a bloody pulp herself, though, and he was sure he had some great bruises to look forward to.

He certainly hoped Haido wasn't too protective.

"Fine," Keiko said. "Early. Same time as always. We'll be working late boys, count on it."

She glared at them to make sure they understood completely. She wanted this done ASAP. Sooner than Wednesday if they could make it happen. Leaning back into the couch, she flicked her ash into the tray near by and stared at them in silence again.

"Congratulations, by the way," she said, almost flatly. "Now get out. I've got work to do."

Haido wasn't sure whether to be offended or not. Then again, he didn't really know Keiko. He looked at Kenji, puzzled.

She was mad at him, but Kenji was fairly certain it would go away in a few days. Maybe weeks, but it WOULD go away. Otherwise, he'd be running for the rest of his life.

Taking Haido's hand, he pulled the smaller man up off the couch. "Come on."

He wasn't going to let himself worry. They were going to go, Kenji was going to go to sleep (and try his best to make Haido stay with him for the night), and he was going to wake up early and down an entire pot of coffee. Then they were going to work, and the week from hell would begin.

Because he could tell already they weren't going to get anymore of a break.

_Author's Notes: Yeah, a bit boring and useless, but we decided to keep it. So there! Next chapter is a bit more fun. Scout's Honor. Unless I'm thinking of a different chapter, which is entirely possible. I'm editing again, so I'm thinking chapters ahead. I'm on chapter 67 for editing only nine more chapters until it's done! So many more to upload until the end. _

_Anyways, drop us a line!_

_SL_


	55. Chapter 55

_Disclaimer: Wooo!_

_Author's Notes: Look! A second update! Wowie! Okay, the reason for this is because I can officially say that I have finished editing every chapter left in the story. That's right folks, it's all smooth sailing from here and I can upload as I please! I kinda want to do it all at once to end it, but, I won't._

_Alright, so last chapter we saw Haido and Kenji break the rushed news to Keiko and that ended bittersweet. In this chapter we foreshadow things to come with the first day back at work for the band. _

_Enjoy!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Fifty-Five_

Yawning quietly, Haido stretched in bed next to Kenji, rolling to his side, arm draping over the man next to him. He pulled up close pressed his bare chest to Kenji's bare back, nose resting at the base of his lover's neck, nuzzling it. He could get used to mornings like this.

But it was morning, and if his internal clock had anything to say, it was six in the morning. His usual time.

"Wake up, Kenji," Haido said, patting his thigh fairly hard before rolling off the bed. "We've got about an hour to be at work."

He made his way to the bathroom (having to search around for a towel before hand) and showered quickly. Dressing in just a towel he started a pot of coffee for Kenji, and went back into the bedroom.

"C'mon. You've got just enough time for a quick shower and some coffee before we go," he said, bouncing back onto the bed, making Kenji's sleeping form bounce.

He could smell soap, and that was weird. It was a clean, fresh smell, warm and inviting. Kenji sighed in his sleep, groaning when his body bounced.

What the hell?

Cracking open tired eyes, he looked up at Haido's face. "I don' wanna go..." He mumbled, rolling over and burying his face in the pillow. Sleep. Sleep was gooood...

Waking up was bad. Shower was bad. Even coffee was bad.

Sleep.

Mmm...

"You know I can't lift you, so I will drag you off this bed and into a cold shower if I have to," Haido threatened, removing the towel from his waist and drying himself completely with it as he sat on the edge of the bed. "It's our first day back. We have five days to finish, and I don't think Taki would put in a good word for us if we didn't finish by Wednesday."

He got up, tossing his damp towel over Kenji's head for the humor of it. If he wasn't up soon, Haido was breaking out the ice cubes and Kenji would only have time for a cup of coffee. He wouldn't be late. He liked not being hit by Keiko.

Not thinking ahead (for once) Haido hadn't brought his own clothes, so he'd be borrowing a few from Kenji. His clothing style was really different from Kenji's. It was a little worrisome. He pulled a long sleeve button-up from the closet, rolling the sleeves up to the elbows and pulled his own pants back on. His t-shirt had been used to kinda sorta clean up the mess last night a little bit.

"UP KENJI!" Haido bellowed before leaving the room, leaving the shirt unbuttoned for now.

Groaning loudly, Kenji grabbed both the towel and his pillow and threw them at the door. See? He was good. He only threw soft things.

He forced himself from the bed and stumbled toward the shower. He felt covered from head to foot in dried gunk, and he knew that in a sense, he was. It was almost a relief to get into the shower, and Kenji knew that if he leaned against the wall long enough, he'd fall asleep again.

Forcing himself to grab the soap, starting to clean his body. It took him a long time, and he realized as he was washing his hair that he needed to redye it. Soon. There was too much red dye going down the drain for his tastes.

It was a good sign if he was awake enough to think about his hair.

Drying off quickly, Kenji pulled a brush through his hair, just to get the knots out from rubbing the water out. It caught and tugged, but he grit his teeth and suffered through it. It was nothing compared to everything else he endured.

Which reminded him.

He needed to change the sheets.

Later, though. Right now, he needed to concentrate on zipping up his pants without hurting himself. That would be a bad, bad way to start the morning. He was tugging an almost see-through tank top over his head as he padded out into the living room, then to the kitchen.

He could smell coffee.

"About damn time," Haido said, pouring out himself a cup of coffee, and then one for Kenji. He set both mugs on the table and looked at Kenji. Took him in for the first time this morning.

"You look like a whore," he said simply, taking his seat and blowing on his coffee as he waited for Kenji to take his seat. After all, in pants that tight and an almost see through top for regular everyday wear, while looking thoroughly worn through? Yep. That had 'whore' written all across it.

He tugged at the shirt he'd borrow. It was a little clingy. Even for his frame.

"Why do you wear such form fitting clothes, if I may ask," he said, sipping the coffee.

Too tired to get worked up, Kenji shot Haido a weak glare as he took the mug closest to him. He didn't answer until after he'd taken a drink, burning the roof of his mouth.

In his defense, he was going to put another shirt over the tank top. He was hardly going to wander around Tokyo at six thirty in the morning wearing only a thin shirt and tight pants.

Shrugging with one shoulder, he stifled a yawn. "Because I can."

It sounded too petty to say "Because my parents hate it," even in his head.

"Uh-huh," Haido said with a raised eyebrow and a short nod of the head. Eh, why did he wear clothes that hid his body? To each their own. They didn't have to just blurt everything about each other right away.

"Thanks for letting me stay over last night," he said, blowing on the coffee before sipping again. "And... I'm sorry if Keiko works you over pretty bad for a while. It really is my fault."

If he hadn't been an idiot earlier.

"But, I know it doesn't account for now."

Reaching across the table, Kenji flicked Haido in the forehead. Then he settled back, both hands on his mug. "It was not." He'd stick stubbornly with that until he forgot what they were arguing about, and considering their day...

It wouldn't be any time soon.

He started to drink his coffee as if it would disappear if he left it alone for too long. Then he was getting up, pouring the third cup of the pot. Normally, he could get four out of one, and he was counting on that now. He needed the caffeine.

Haido winced as he was flicked, crossing his eyes to look up at where he'd been hit, as if he could check it. It made him dizzy. Personally, coffee didn't do much for him. It was just something hot to drink in the mornings.

"You'd better hurry up with that, Kenji," Haido warned lightly, only halfway through with his first cup. Which was fine. He didn't plan on finishing it to begin with. "Traffic might hold us back a bit anyways."

Setting the mug down on the table, he proceed to button up the shirt he'd borrowed, leaving the two top ones undone. Button ups always felt constricting. Especially around the neck.

Kenji watched Haido button the shirt as he downed the second cup of coffee. It was dark, and Kenji liked the way it looked against Haido's skin. He liked it a lot.

Setting his empty mug back down in the sink, he stole (yes, stole. Once he was awake, he was quite a morning person) a quick kiss from Haido. "I'll be ready in a minute." He was smiling when he left the table, small and smug.

It was going to be a good day. He didn't care how late they worked, because it would be worth it just to watch Haido in that shirt.

Reaching into his closet when he reached his bedroom, Kenji pulled on a white button up shirt that he had no intention of buttoning. The sleeves were already rolled up because Kenji had no concept of unrolling them when he washed them.

Next were the socks, and the jacket that went over his shirts. His hair was already drying, covering his left eye the way it always did. That was good, because Kenji really hated going outside with wet hair.

When he left the bedroom again, he pulled the door closed behind him and went straight for his shoes.

Haido blinked, watching Kenji walk off. Kenji tasted like strong coffee. Haido added a little milk to his early in the mornings. Licking his lips, tip of his tongue barely peeking out, as if he were trying to hide the motion, he got up and emptied the rest of his coffee into the sink, rinsing out the mug and leaving it.

He heard the bedroom door shut, checked the time and met Kenji at the door, slipping on his shoes. Looking over Kenji's new attire, he smiled. Kenji could make anything look good, he was sure of it.

Once the shoes were on, he patted his pockets until he heard a familiar muffled jingle and pulled his keys out, looking over Kenji again as he opened the door for him. There was just attractive about him. Maybe it was the fact that he wasn't talking at the moment...

Haido followed him out the door and caught him in a hug from behind. Letting go, he took Kenji's hand in his and held it until they got to the car.

The hug made him smile, warm even though the air they'd just stepped into was cold. Kenji gave Haido's hand a light squeeze before he let go, moving around to the passenger side as Haido unlocked it.

When he got in, he swore he could see his breath. It wasn't even light outside yet! God, mornings were so disgusting sometimes. He would have gone back to sleep if he hadn't tried to drown himself in two cups of coffee.

"Oooh, if Keiko's not there when we get there, I'm going to her house and jumping on her..." Because it was so much more fun then telling her he'd broken something. He wanted to do something new.

"I think she'd put you through a wall," Haido said, turn the ignition, engine purring and a blast of cool air from the vents. "Ooo, I hate that." He messed with it a bit and let the cold ride out into the heat it was supposed to be on.

He backed out of the spot and drove out of the lot and onto the road down to N-G. He turned the radio on and it babbled softly. Something about the whether. Eh. But he didn't change it.

"Why don't you just try calling her like a normal person?" he asked, rolling up to a stop sign, looking and turning. Not that he minded. He wasn't getting beat. And, Kenji was cute as a whacko.

"Because..." Kenji rolled his eyes, reaching to change the radio station. He changed it until there was something with music. It sounded a lot like T.M. Revolution, but Kenji wasn't paying that close of attention. "She doesn't wake up to her phone anymore."

He'd done that for the first three years. By fifteen, he'd realized there were so many more ways to wake a person up, and they were soooo much more fun.

He'd always been more interested in fun than formality. It was hard to think formal. It was all straight edges, but if everything had a straight edge, there would be nothing interesting in the world.

"I can just imagine how she's going to repay you for all your wake up calls," he said dryly, pulling into the N-G parking lot. "And for once, we're early. Five minutes. So, we should get to the studio on time."

Parking the car, he shut it off, unfastening his seatbelt and climbing out, locking the car right after Kenji got out. He walked through the door after Kenji and when they stopped in front of the elevator, Haido felt laughter bubbling up.

"Think we should risk it?"

Making a face at Haido, Kenji reached out and pushed the 'up' button to call an elevator from above them. He could hear it coming down, and even in the hushed early morning activity, the ding as the doors opened seemed loud.

Kenji looked inside before he stepped into it, eyeing the walls and corners critically. "I'm not going to touch anything. I think maybe I'll be safe that way."

He nodded, as if it were genius. But he seriously wouldn't touch anything. He'd stand right in the middle and hold onto Haido if he started to fall. That sounded like the best idea he'd had since keeping Haido for the night.

Haido shook his head and hit their floor button.

"Hey, what if one of them was pressed up against the buttons?" he asked teasingly, trying to gross Kenji out. "Ooo... do think the buttons were imprinted on their back?"

He reached out towards Kenji with the hand he'd pressed the button with. Ew, think of all the fluidy germs on just one possible button!

"Think of all the germs!"

"Ewww..." Kenji took a step back, inches from a wall. "I bet that was really uncomfortable for Taki." And even MORE ew! He could tell Taki had been on the bottom, but he really, really didn't want to think about it.

From now on, he'd take the stairs. At least until he knew the elevators had been cleaned. This was so gross.

It still smelled like sex, but it was stale. That was icky. Icky, icky, icky. Kenji could tell he was going to have a hard time looking at Taki and Tohma today.

"Kenji...," Haido said, pouting through fallen strands of hair as he let his hand fall. "You're too far away..."

He grabbed Kenji's hips, pulling their bodies together and let his arms slip around his waist and hook together loosely. He was smiling up at Kenji now.

"Better," he said, leaning up to kiss him. "You need to relax sometimes too."

It almost made Kenji laugh. Haido was telling HIM to relax? They had to have this backwards, but he thought it was cute. His arms slipped around Haido's body, and he leaned down to get his kiss.

Relaxed... He was relaxed! Especially now that Haido was wrapped around him. He was going to protest that he was relaxed, too, but he wanted the kiss.

Haido wasn't usually this affectionate. Leftovers from the night before? Maybe, but Kenji didn't want to question and ruin the moment.

Maybe it was last night. Maybe it was just because Kenji was so damn cute sometimes! Maybe because he realized there was no reason to run away from this, even in public. Whatever it was, he didn't let go of Kenji, even as the elevator hit their floor and opened up.

"Is this the sex area or something from now on?" a dry voice asked. You could almost hear the eyes rolling.

Haido turned his head and saw Keiko standing in front to the open elevator, one arm out to keep it open.

"How'd you find out about that?" Haido asked, not moving.

"People talk." she said simply. "C'mon. Tohma's waiting."

Kenji took a small step back out of Haido's arms, but wrapped one tightly around Haido's shoulders, because his waist was too far down to be comfortable. "Where's Taki?" Because normally, Taki was the one waiting, tapping his foot impatiently.

Tohma didn't seem that easy to ruffle. Not that Kenji had been trying.

Guiding Haido from the elevator, Kenji wasn't at all perturbed by what Keiko had caught them doing. It was just a kiss, and he was with Haido now. Really, it was better they'd only been caught kissing instead of removing clothes.

Like before. Thinking about that still made Kenji blush.

"Not in today," Keiko said, walking with them down the hall. "Tohma's here in his place and he's already told me that he's going to work us just as hard as if Taki were here, but less dramatic. And he said not to mention to Taki about the dramatic comment."

She had no idea what was going on, but it seemed like she just woke up one day and now everyone around her was gay! Keiko sighed, shaking her head.

"Well, I guess they're not hiding much, huh?" Haido asked, looking up at Kenji. It was... interesting to say the least.

"I guess not." Kenji shrugged, slowing a little as they approached the studio door. Was he sure he wanted to do this? Yes... he was sure, but he didn't think he was entirely ready for it. "I mean, we already knew about Taki. And Tohma, just... look at him!"

The day he'd worn a purple suit and a green tie was quite enough proof for Kenji. It just screamed queer. And the voice, and the hands, and the _face_...

Tohma was probably every gay adolescents' biggest wet dream.

And that was kind of creepy.

But the suit was done tastefully so, as was everything else in his life. He liked colors. And Tohma hated the business world's lack of comfort when he had entered it. So, he had made his own style, he wore it confidently, and he knew that while he did looked gay, he looked good too.

"Hey, Kenji," Haido said, trying to snap his mind off of Tohma. "How about you stop watching the gay boss and watch the gay boyfriend?"

Hm. Go figure. Out of all the places he might have to try and keep Kenji's attention, it would be at work. Damn.

"Guys, let's go in. We have a lot of work to do," Keiko said, entering the room.

The grin on Kenji's face proved how hard he was trying not to laugh. He wasn't laughing AT Haido, but he thought the indignance was just so cute. If they didn't have to work, he would have suggested they go back to the car so he could prove to Haido just how much he really did watch him.

Instead, once Keiko had disappeared into the studio, Kenji leaned down to get another kiss. This one wasn't nearly as thorough as the kiss in the elevator, but it still got the point through. "I always watch you. It was watching you that got me into this mess."

But he was still smiling. He didn't think their relationship was a mess at all.

"Now, come on. Work!" And such a change of pace! He'd never had to remind Haido about work before.

Haido followed Kenji into the studio. Tohma was there talking with Keiko, but he looked dull. Bored even. Well, what was to be expected? His lover was stuck at home and he had to work this band all by himself. That in itself wasn't the issue, but the fact that he would probably be doing overtime instead of leaving early was. Maybe he could take an extended lunch?

"Ah, the other two have arrived," Tohma said, turning in his chair to look at them as they came in.

"Good morning," Haido said with a nod.

"Can we get started yet?" Keiko asked, child-like.

"If these two are ready to work, of course we can," Tohma said with a small smile.

Two cups of coffee in him, kisses from Haido, and no bruises? Hell yes, Kenji was ready to work. Really, it might just be a great day. Especially since there was no Taki to yell at them for goofing off!

It didn't occur to him that Tohma might be worse.

_Author's Notes: Aw, seems like it's going good so far, right? Coffee, kisses and no pain and especially no Taki? What could possibly go wrong?_

_Find out later!_

_SL_


	56. Chapter 56

_Disclaimer: Blah blah._

_Author's Notes: Today my mother has decided on having a Sunday Dinner. I have no idea why she's doing this, but I can't complain. So, I dunno how long I'll be busy with family. Woo._

_Anyways, last chapter everything seemed like it would be going so well for Opium's first day back! Ah, but the foreshadowing we didn't plan won't let that happen. Kel and I are just mean. Oh! Speaking of Kel, I've recently helped her with some problems. As payment, she now has to start working on the sequel again. WOO!_

_So enjoy Opium's unexpected surprise at work!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Fifty-Six_

It was worth hauling himself out of bed and to work just to piss off that stupid bitch. Taki wasn't laughing as he closed the door behind him, but he was certainly pleased with himself. He loved making Tohma's secretary splutter and go red in the face, just because he absolutely hated her.

He wouldn't mind her so much, he supposed, if she wasn't so fucking pushy when she called his office on orders from Tohma. Taki knew he would respond so much better if it were Tohma who made the call.

So long as Tohma stayed out of his hair.

It still hurt to move, and walking was almost excruciating. Neither of them had been gentle in the elevator, and Taki could feel it through every limb as he moved. One day, Tohma was going to make the brutality up to him, but for now, Taki couldn't find it in himself to protest.

Instead, he just flopped onto the couch that stood against the wall perpendicular to Tohma's desk. It hurt too much to sit on it, and this way, he had a clear view of the door. He would try his best to be awake when Tohma came in for lunch.

Tohma headed up to his office on the lunch break, fully prepared to call Taki and enjoy his lunch while talking to him. When he arrived, his secretary was annoyed and horribly tensed, slamming things around. He eased passed her and slipped into his office, shutting the door behind him.

And then he caught sight of Taki lounged on his couch.

Shutting the door and leaning against it, he smiled over at the other man. "Shouldn't you be home resting?"

After all, that had been the deal. How did he even get in today?

Taki didn't lift his head, but there was a small, lazy quirk to the corner of his mouth. He let his arm slip down to drape over the edge of the couch, blinking up at Tohma with all the innocence he didn't have. "I am resting."

See? He hadn't broken the deal. He had no intention to move, so that was resting. He'd drive himself insane at home, because there was absolutely nothing to do.

Taki didn't keep anything around to keep himself occupied. The only time he was home was when he was asleep. That was all he needed the apartment for anyway. And he would not, ever, submit himself to television.

It was horrible. Mindless. Brain numbing.

"You're a little sneak," Tohma said, not being taken in by that fake look. It couldn't be trusted at all. Then again, neither could one who smiled all the time either.

He crossed over to Taki, gently lifting his legs, sitting down and laying them across his lap. Removing his gloves, he started to rub them a little bit, hoping to ease a bit of the pain he'd caused not too long ago in this very building.

"They're working hard," he said, commenting on the band that was out at lunch. "Kenji didn't even want to break for lunch yet."

He couldn't complain.

"Haido coerced him into it, though."

Really, Tohma had wanted the break. A little selfish, but he really did want to check up on Taki.

Practically purring, Taki let his eyes close. Making a soft hum because he knew he was a sneak, Taki's eyes opened a little in surprise at the news on his band. "_Kenji_ didn't want lunch?" Taki shook his head, though slowly. "Unbelievable. You drugged him, didn't you?"

Tohma would have had to. Kenji always thought with his stomach. Recently, though, Taki had to doubt that. Just a little. Kenji had finally started thinking with other things, though Taki was disappointed to say that they weren't his brain.

Maybe Tohma had replaced the band members with clones. They were sounding entirely too... normal to be the band he'd worked with for so many months. Clones would definitely explain it.

Taki wasn't concerned, though. As long as they were quality clones...

"No, not at all," the blond said chuckling as he worked Taki's tensed muscles between his fingers. "He wants to finish this CD as fast as he can."

But Tohma wouldn't stand for rushed, inferior work. He liked Kenji's attitude, but he still ordered them about like he had the first time. Perfection was pertinent in Tohma's book.

"I'm wondering if Keiko had anything to do with the revised attitude. I didn't see any new bruises though," he admitted. "I have to say, I'm a little shocked. But you made my day by showing up."

The half smile on Taki's face was lazy and tired. This was nice, but he knew he was going to be paying for it later when he stood up and fell down. "I would have driven myself insane at home." He said, downsizing the importance of being half asleep on the couch in Tohma's office.

It wasn't like they were in a relationship or anything. The most they could hope to be for each other were impromptu friends, who had lots and lots of sex.

Painful, brutal, animalistic sex.

And that was the best kind.

"Well, maybe you should have more things to entertain you at home," Tohma said reasonably, hands moving up from Taki's calves to his thighs. "Video games, books... things like that."

Though he did know how boring it was to sit around at home no matter what was there. Sometimes a change of scenery was more fun than actually doing anything. He could understand. Taki was also an impatient man, so those things probably wouldn't help either way.

"Now, can you enlighten me as to what has suddenly gotten into my secretary?"

It was an instinctive reaction to let his legs fall open so Tohma could have more room to touch. Normally, between them, it would have been sexual, but right now, it was just comfortable. Taki couldn't help but make a face at the suggestion, but it was gone as soon as he started laughing.

Because he just couldn't help it. He knew exactly what had gotten into that woman!

Taking deep, steadying breaths as the hilarity died, the smile on Taki's face was crooked. "I don't think she likes me." Either that, or she hadn't had any decent sex in a long, long time.

Taki wasn't about to fix that for her.

Tohma sighed and shook his head gently from side to side. Taki would still have that streak in him that caused a ruckus with people in general. Cute, but it never got anyone far in life. Still, he could live with it.

"Well, what did you do to her that caused her not to like you?" he asked sweetly, switching legs.

Taki was still hurting, he could feel it. But he kept his touch light and gentle, trying to work out the small kinks and pains. It was nice to be able to do something like this with Taki. Neither of them wanted it to be just about the sex, and this was a good way to prove Tohma would keep to that.

"Do to her?" Taki's attempt at innocence failed miserably, but he didn't seem at all put out. He thought Tohma's reaction was priceless, if a little irritating. There were still little things about Tohma that were irritating, some that just drove him up the wall, but he figured that if Tohma had traits he couldn't stand, he had to have tons that Tohma hated about him, too.

After all, he knew he wasn't exactly the most likable person. That was probably why the secretary was such a horrible bitch. At least, she was to him.

"I didn't do anything! I just came into your office and shut the door." Right in her face, but that was hardly the point.

"While she tried to stop you from doing as such considering the owner of said office was not in the office," Tohma said, filling in the rest of, what he felt, was an incomplete sentence. "You're lucky she didn't call security."

Which was normal protocol in the situation. Basically, the secretary had seen enough to get a good idea of the situation. He didn't exactly hire idiots to work under him.

"Well, Taki, now that you're at work, you've thoroughly annoyed someone and you won't actually work the whole day," Tohma listed, smiling. "Would you like some lunch?"

He knew he was lucky she didn't call security, but Taki was pretty sure she was just jealous. And who wouldn't be? He was the lucky bastard that got to sleep with the boss, and it was goooood.

"Do I have to move?" Taki asked, aiming for pitiful and missing. Really, he was just lazy and comfortable. Lethargic. He didn't want to move, and he didn't want Tohma to move. He wanted them to stay where they were, because if either of them moved, he'd be cold.

Ha. Was that an ulterior motive?

Nah... just selfish. Greedy.

"No, not really," Tohma said. But he did have to stop massaging Taki's legs to fish his cell phone out of his pocket. He rang up his secretary, asking her to get his usual lunch. Setting the phone aside, he returned his attentions to Taki.

"How have you been feeling today?" Tohma asked, taking one of Taki's hands in his, rubbing that. He did like pampering people sometimes. Taki was an extra special reason. He was a lover, but also, someone whose pain he'd accidentally caused.

More recently then ever, Taki's hands had begun to cramp. It was all the hand writing, signing papers and scrawling notes that never really came out legibly. Taki's prowess had never been with a pen, and there were times when he really had to concentrate on what he was doing.

And when that happened, his fingers gripped the pen tighter to make sure he didn't screw it up. It was no surprise that his hands cramped, though they were a minor inconvenience in comparison.

The joints ached as Tohma pressed on them, but that was all but gone when Tohma's hands moved away. His skin felt warm. Soft and welcoming.

"Tired. Sore." And a tired and sore Taki, accompanied by boredom, was not a pleasant thing.

"I'm sorry about that," Tohma said, looking at Taki's face. Cute. Dazed and completely content. "I really wasn't thinking, was I?"

At least his efforts were being enjoyed though. That's what he liked to see. Taki was content, relaxing and not wandering around, making his body any more rundown. It was the most calm he'd ever seen the ex-vocalist.

He placed Taki's hand down, taking up Taki's other one, working it over just as gently as the first one. Tohma couldn't help but feel a little guilty for this. It was his fault Taki was laid up and bored.

"I wasn't telling you to stop, was I?" It was a deliberate mimic, one said in a harsh tone that made it quite clear that they weren't going to pin blame. It wasn't worth it. With his body the way it was, Tohma could have been gentle and he wouldn't have been able to do more then sloth around all day.

If Taki was going to have to sloth no matter what, he wanted to at least enjoy it first. Tohma had certainly done that for him.

His hand was in a lethargic curl, resting on his stomach. He was beginning to feel so relaxed his limbs felt numb, and it took too much concentration to convince himself to move. Food would have been nice, but not if he had to sit up to eat it.

"No, but how I wish I could reach the tape on my desk for that mouth of yours," Tohma said teasingly as a soft knock hit his door. His smile grew and he asked whoever was behind it to enter.

His secretary walked in, holding a bag of take out. She eyed Taki with pure contempt, but said nothing about the position they were found in. Aki was good to handle Tohma's personal matters this way. He really did enjoy her company sometimes... when she wasn't avidly pissed off.

"I have your lunch," she said, forcing herself to try and be more enjoyable to Tohma, her boss.

"Thank you, Aki. If you wouldn't mind..." he trailed off, motioning for her to bring the bag over to him.

Wordlessly she did as asked, and Tohma thanked her kindly, and she left, leaving the two alone again.

"Oh my," he said, stopping all ministrations on Taki to open up the bag, taking out his food. Sushi today. He loved it. "You've done a number this time. Were any choice words exchanged?"

Taki's grin was lopsided, and just a little smug. "Maybe a few." He could think of a few. And they'd come from him.

God, she was a stupid bitch.

Groaning, Taki pulled himself up into a sitting position. It took too much effort, legs relaxed and almost rubbery. His hands didn't want to grip at the couch to pull himself up, and when he was seated and all the effort was spent, he felt quite ready to just collapse against Tohma and let that be the end.

It didn't help any that his body gave a great throb, reminding him of exactly why he wasn't supposed to be at work today.

He ignored it, leaning his shoulder against Tohma's so he could look at the food. Sushi. He was thinking more along the lines of warm food, but he'd undoubtedly end up stealing some of Tohma's just so he didn't starve later.

Taki knew he wouldn't eat until he got home and ordered something. There was no way in hell he would submit to his own cooking. He didn't need someone else to tell him it was terrible, he already knew.

"Taki, you're going to have to learn to put up with her," Tohma said, nudging Taki gently as he leaned against him. "But, I'll let her know you have my express permission to enter my office."

He broke the chopsticks apart and opened up the container. Taking up a piece, he held it over for Taki to eat.

"Open up," he said. Their time was short since he'd relaxed with Taki for a little while. No doubt he'd go back down late, but he didn't mind. After all, it wasn't he who'd taken a week off.

Put up with her! Taki snorted. That was like playing nice with a crocodile, it didn't fucking work. It was okay as long as you were far away, but as soon as you got close enough, your head was gone. All that woman needed were the teeth and the tail.

But, it was worth keeping his opinion to himself if he got fed. Food was a weakness right now, no matter how thin he was. When he felt miserable, he ate. It had caused him trouble in high school, because at one point, he'd eaten so much that not even his metabolism could keep up, and he'd actually gained weight.

It was the low point in his life. The time that Taki looked back at and laughed.

He'd been such a little shit. Not that it had really changed...

He took the offered sushi from Tohma, only shifting enough to take it from the chopsticks. He really was comfortable like this. It made him wish their lunches were longer, a thought that was almost immediately dismissed.

Tohma rolled his eyes as Taki snorted, feeding him without a word. It was very comforting to be like this. He personally enjoyed having Taki finally here and not pushing him away. Tohma thought it a personal triumph.

"Well, you have to try and be good," he said, taking up a piece and eating it himself.

He didn't want any problems at work. He wouldn't hide his relationship, but he couldn't give Taki any special treatment for it either. Respecting his secretary was a rule all had to follow.

After swallowing, he offered another to Taki.

"Would you like to rest here, or join us in the studio?"

Taki didn't snort this time, and that in itself was an acquiesce. He wasn't necessarily going to try hard, but he'd try. He wouldn't tell her to fuck off and die anymore, at least. He couldn't however, say anything about nonverbal communication.

That was something entirely different.

Taking the next sushi roll, Taki chewed as he thought. He could stay here, bored. He could go home, bored, even though he knew that it hadn't been mentioned as an option. Or, he could go down to the studio and be bothered by obnoxious band members.

At least he wouldn't be bored.

"I'll go to the studio." He decided when he'd swallowed.

"Good," Tohma said with a smile. "I could use a cute distraction."

Yes, he was calling Taki cute, and he couldn't help it. Sometimes the other man seemed absolutely adorable. The little faces he'd make, the ruckus he'd cause, things like that. It was cute to the blond.

They continued eating together until all the food was gone, and Tohma had to force himself to start stirring to the idea of going back to work. He was already five minutes late (a rarity), what did another five matter?

A lot. More than anything, he knew. Time was precious in this business, and to even think he'd let this much go by. He scolded himself mentally.

"Alright, Taki, time to go to work."

There had been no time to protest that he WASN'T cute, because Tohma was offering him another roll of sushi, and Taki couldn't protest. Still, he glared when all the anger he could, because he was. Not. Cute.

All too soon, though, the food was gone, and he knew they were late. He could feel it, an itching feeling that said they were supposed to be downstairs already. If he'd been at home, Taki knew he would have been fidgeting uncontrollably and cursing so loudly his neighbors would come to ask what was wrong.

He was actually glad he wasn't at home.

Sighing, Taki made himself sit up, carry his own weight as he pushed himself to his feet. To his credit, it was only a little shaky, and he only reached back to put his hand on Tohma's shoulder instead of gripping, like he'd been about to do.

"How late are we?" He really needed to start wearing a watch.

He watched the other man carefully, but said nothing. If Taki had been able to make it here, he could make it downstairs and to the studio. He checked his watched when Taki asked for the time.

"About... ten minutes or so," he said, smiling at Taki. "Ready?"

If Taki wanted his help, he would ask for it, or he would go without. If nothing else, it seemed as though he was fairly steady on his own two feet.

Ten minutes late. Kenji was probably shitting himself.

"Yeah." It showed how much Taki hadn't been on his feet all day that he took slow steps. He wasn't used to sitting down all the time. Even when he was in his office, he paced when he read because he always soaked in information better that way.

He didn't know why, he just did. Probably leftovers from lyric memorizing. Hell if he knew.

When he made it to the door, it was a relief to pause to open it. Taki wasn't exactly sure what was better. Moving or being still. One of them had to be, he just couldn't tell which, not when both hurt in their own way.

Tohma followed behind the man with equally slow and cautious steps. He waited until Taki opened the door, following him out and pulling it closed behind them. They had to walk out past Aki, who seemed less agitated and was going about her work.

"Aki?" Tohma asked, she looked up, still frowning. "Aizawa-san has my permission to visit my office if need be at anytime whether I'm there or not. He also had a talking to about his earlier behavior, and it won't be happening again."

She nodded, glancing over at Taki without a word. "Yes, sir. Should I have the car ready at the usual time?"

"No. I'll be working late tonight."

She nodded again and went back to her work. He motioned for Taki to continue on towards the elevator.

"I hope what I've told her stands to stay true, Taki," Tohma said, an edge of seriousness in his voice. He liked being a man of his word after all.

Hands in his pockets, Taki gave a nonchalant shrug. "I'll play nice if she will." Which wasn't entirely true, but, it was all in the thought, right? Wrong, but Taki couldn't really bring himself to be concerned.

Aki had never liked him, and he'd never liked her. In the end, it was just an unspoken agreement to be hostile toward each other. It wasn't his fault she'd taken it so personally.

He'd hit the button to call the elevator up, and it dinged as it opened. Taki had always considered the warning bell to be a bit of a waste, because if you hit the button for the elevator, you obviously knew it was going to be coming. Really, the bell was just a cause to charge more because it was obnoxious and ultimately useless.

It reminded him of a secretary they'd only just passed.

Stepping into the elevator with Tohma behind him, Taki leaned against the wall to keep himself up. He felt tired, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to reach the studio and sit down, or stay in the elevator forever and stand.

Tohma shook his head gently as they stepped onto the lift and rode down a few floors. Taki could be so insufferable sometimes, and yet, he didn't mind it so much. Taki had never really annoyed him or pushed his buttons. He'd only made mistakes.

"I'm sure they're all going to be very surprised when I walk in with you," he said, smiling pleasantly. And he was sure they'd all be thinking the same thing once they saw how Taki was walking. Which hadn't happened, but he was walking as such because of a previous incident.

He wondered what they were all doing at this very moment. Were they waiting around impatiently? Maybe they'd decided to extend their lunch? Hm.

"If they're that surprised, you've been going too easy on them." Taki gave Tohma a small, lopsided grin. It was mostly calculation, because he knew they were going to be shocked. Kenji especially, because Kenji was never any good at hiding what he felt.

It was so funny to watch, too. Taki never got tired of pulling the boy's strings to see what he would do.

Eventually, though, it stopped being productive and simply became irritating.

The elevator was going down, but not that far. Their studio was on the higher levels, just under all of the offices. Taki liked working directly with Tohma, because he knew Tohma wouldn't go any farther down then he had to.

"It's only been a few hours," Tohma said, looking scandalized. "I have to work up to my full potential."

Besides, could he help it if he'd been distracted with other thoughts? Ones that involved checking up on Taki as soon as he had been able to. But, he was sure Kenji was going to be very shocked. Then again, with his recent upbeat attitude, maybe he would just welcome it as a chance to show off for the man who had really made the band.

A few floors down, the band of Opium were getting restless. Keiko had gone off to the bathroom and the couple were left alone. Kenji was getting twitchy and Haido thought it was very cute.

"Oh, c'mon, Kenji!" Haido said, over exaggeratedly annoyed. "He's a little late... all I want is a kiss."

He pouted, looking up at the other man. "Please? I'll be good, I promise."

He crossed his heart with a finger just to prove his good intentions.

"It's nearly been ten minutes!" Kenji sighed in aggravation, looking back to where Haido was leaned against the wall. It just wasn't in him to let Haido beg, and especially not when he was looking so appealing.

But it wasn't like Tohma to be late!

Finally, he sighed again, giving into Haido's request. Leaning down, he pressed his lips to Haido's, one hand bracing on the wall.

Tohma and Taki were casually making their way to the elevator, keeping up a smooth rhythm of conversation. Taki couldn't help it. He had to ask.

"It takes you hours to work up to your full potential?" Taki's brows raised, and he pulled his hands from his pockets to cross them over his chest. "You mean you've been holding back? What exactly have I been missing out on?"

He sounded entirely serious, but it was all too obvious in his expression that he wasn't.

"Well, you'll just have to find out, won't you?" Tohma said teasingly.

He watched until they reached their number floor and the elevator dinged lightly, the door whispering open. Tohma placed one arm out of the lift to ensure it wouldn't close and looked at Taki to leave first.

Downstairs, Haido shrugged when Kenji had made a comment about the time. He didn't care! Right now, he wanted to spend a few minutes in relative privacy with Kenji.

But, he was happy as Kenji leaned down to give him the kiss he wanted. Haido leaned forward and up to meet him a little ways, arms going around Kenji's neck.

Alright, so he was going to break his promise, he really didn't think it all that important as he nudged Kenji's lips open with his tongue.

His arms were wrapping around Haido's waist to pull him close, and for a moment, Kenji wasn't quite sure what was going on. Where was Keiko? The... bathroom, right? Something like that... and Tohma was... late...

He gave up the access to his mouth almost too easily, and it was a second after the kiss had deepened that he realized Haido had promised to behave. But, it was too late to protest, because he liked the way it felt too much to pull back and bitch.

The grin on Taki's face was absolutely feral as he looked over at Tohma in the elevator. Oh, yes. He would be finding out, and in a way he was sure Tohma wouldn't appreciate until it was over.

He knew how much Tohma just loved to be teased.

Stepping out of the elevator, Taki slipped his hands back into his pockets as he started down the hall. Their's was the door three down from the elevator, but Taki was quite intent on taking his time.

Tohma followed Taki out, very unsure how to interpret that grin. He was a little thrown off by it. On top of that, he could even admit to it giving him a small twinge of nervousness.

He walked side by side with Taki, keeping pace. After all, there was no rush. They were already late, and he wouldn't rush Taki in this condition, nor would he leave him behind. They could make up the missed time later tonight when they were all on overtime.

Haido loved being able to pull Kenji into these little moments, especially at work. Yes, Keiko had run off to the bathroom, and Haido didn't want to get caught in the studio again. He figured they'd be able to hear someone coming if they were outside the room, right?

Tohma cleared his throat as he watched the two men before him, very intent on their kiss. Well, he guessed they were being productive during their absence.

When Kenji pulled back, the flush was high in his cheeks. It only grew brighter as he caught sight of Taki, who looked almost... amused, and somehow disgusted. Kenji would have mouthed wordlessly if his lips hadn't been tingling so pleasantly from the kiss.

"Alright, rabbits. Back to work." Taki stepped past Tohma and took a seat. Normally, he would have dropped himself into it, but his body had taken enough abuse as it was, and he wasn't exactly inclined to make it any worse.

He liked pain, sure, but not unnecessary pain. Sometimes, it was just a factor of the sex, and it had to be there. Right now, it was unwarranted, and Taki wanted it to go away.

Rabbits? Haido seemed a little confused as he pressed himself against the wall, as if trying to hide himself in it. Then it made sense and his blushed deeply. Damnit... it wasn't like that! Uh, it wasn't like that all the time at least.

He cleared his throat, watching Taki go by with widened eyes and take a seat in the studio.

"Yes... please, if we could get started again," Tohma agreed, following Taki in. "I apologize for being late. Lunch took longer than expected."

He sat next to Taki, and Haido followed in and Keiko was returning from the bathroom.

Longer than expected?

Kenji let Haido slip past him, letting Keiko herd them both back into the recording studio. Whether Tohma and Taki knew it or not, whatever was between them was high on Kenji's Creepy Charts. Taki's sudden appearance didn't help any.

After all, Tohma could have had him like... tied up in his office, and no one would know! And it took so long for them to come back from lunch because Taki had to be let down after a rough round! AND! It would explain why he was walking so funny!

Kenji couldn't help but make a face as he took the microphone.

Ew.

_Author's Notes: The last part where Kenji's kind of talking is the best part! Okay, and the beginning with Aki. It's just funny. But, really, I liked this chapter for the changes between Tohma and Taki. Their dynamics have done a 180 on us. It's almost sickeningly cute to watch. _

_Rest assure Kel and I have that covered. EVILNESS!_

_Drop us a line!_

_SL_


	57. Chapter 57

_Disclaimer: Bleeeeeeeeh._

_Author's Notes: I've been watching House M.D. online since yesterday. Catching up on what I've missed. God I love Hugh Laurie. I'd marry that man in a heartbeat. In. A. Heartbeat. This has nothing to do with the story at all. YAY!_

_This chapter is another filler, I guess. I like focusing on Tohma and Taki, so I think Opium is just a filler for the bigger picture. Just a little more interaction, the next chapter kind of explaines why we did this. I have to go watch more House. I really need to know what's going to happen with him and Stacy._

_Enjoy!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Fifty-Seven_

Somewhere between seemingly endless recording that had finally finished and photo shoot after shoot, time had passed. Kenji was hardly aware of it, but Taki had them making up for all the time they'd missed, and then some. Kenji had lost track of how many shoots they'd done, how many different poses. He didn't remember the show hosts names anymore, there were so many.

Taki wasn't giving them a bit of slack, and Tohma was no better. When they weren't on a shoot or on TV, they were in the studio, not recording, but practicing. Soon, they would move to the building they would be performing in, and it was as that date came closer and closer on the calendar that Kenji realized how much time they'd spent working.

The CD was out, and Kenji hadn't thought anything could sell so fast. It was mind-blowing! He couldn't walk past a music store now without seeing posters, the CD, ticket advertisements, less then one hundred left!

Mind-blowing, and the most incredible thing he had ever experienced.

"Kenji! Snap out of it!" Haido said, tugging his arm as they walked down the street. "We're gonna be late meeting Keiko for lunch if we don't hurry up."

That, and fans. Kenji had redyed his hair and it was as bright as ever. He didn't like being bothered on a simple walk to lunch!

And, honestly, this was Keiko's time to start forgiving them. It was close to the concert, the CD had finished and Keiko had asked them all to have lunch? Surely this was a good thing! At least Haido liked to think so.

Giving his head a quick shake, Kenji nodded, taking Haido's advice and taking longer steps. His hands were in his pockets, because Taki had made some flippant comment about pushing the borders of acceptance. Kenji knew it hadn't been flippant, though, because of the look they'd been given just after it.

Kenji was tempted to misbehave, just because he could, but he knew what Taki meant. Japan just wasn't ready for gay couples to be springing up everywhere. Shindou and Yuki Eiri, that was one thing, but he and Haido?

That was something completely different.

Haido was right, though. If he didn't stop thinking, they were going to be late. "How long do you think she's been there?" After all, it was Saturday, now. A week before their concert, and he knew Keiko didn't wake up early when she didn't have to.

"Well, she said one o' clock," Haido told Kenji, and looked at his watch. "It's about ten minutes past. If she was on time, ten minutes."

If not, then... uh... no minutes?

Well, it was Saturday, and Keiko had been up late last night. She couldn't resist drinking a little after working so hard on Friday. She'd gone to her favorite bar, and, well, she didn't leave until she had to. Which meant when she rolled her ass outta bed as Kenji and Haido were entering the little diner she'd picked, she had one hell of a headache.

She looked over her shoulder at her bed. Well, at least it wasn't filled with someone else. So, it had been a pretty easy night. Keiko yawned, getting up and heading into the bathroom. A quick shower, cigarettes, tons of aspirin should fix it.

"Uh... maybe she's late?" Haido said as they took a table.

Late? Keiko? It didn't seem right. Kenji sighed, shrugging thin shoulders because honestly, there was nothing they could really do about it. He wasn't about to walk to Keiko's, because they hadn't brought a car. The theory was that the time it took to get back to Haido's (where they'd been spending more time, recently) would help them relax for later.

And 'later' was a fairly obvious cause for relaxation.

"Maybe..." Kenji slipped a hand into his pocket as he sat, pulling out his phone. If she wasn't here in five minutes, he was calling, and for every minute after that, he was going to call her twice more.

She'd get so fed up with it eventually that she'd have to show up.

It was a good plan.

Keiko stepped out of the bathroom, toothbrush in her mouth as she heard her phone. By the time she found it, it had stopped ringing. Shrugging, she finished brushing her teeth and showered.

"Any answer?" Haido asked, ordering a soda as the waitress came up smiling.

Hair wrapped in a towel, Keiko dressed and lit up a cigarette, going into the kitchen to start some coffee. She glanced at the clock on the microwave, she saw it was 1:20. Something nagged at her about the time.

Shaking his head, Kenji sighed. "No." He hit the speed dial again, barely holding it to his ear because there was a great big part of him that didn't expect her to pick up.

Maybe they would have to walk to her house. It might actually work better.

He shook his head "no" when the waitress asked him if he wanted anything. No, not yet. He wasn't going to order until Keiko was there with them, because he fully intended to make her pay. She'd invited them, but he'd probably end up helping anyway.

He hated watching her face go all pouty, especially when she was serious about it.

Keiko heard her phone again and got up from the kitchen table, rushing to where she'd left her phone in the bedroom. Good, she caught it. Looking at the little screen as she flipped it, it was Kenji.

"Yeah?" she asked as she answered, exhaling smoke at the same time. Her gut suddenly sunk and she wasn't sure why.

Haido perked up a bit when he heard Keiko's voice pick up on the other end. See? Maybe she was on her way! Or... something. Hopefully.

"Where are you?" Kenji couldn't help the worry in his voice because, hey, it wasn't LIKE Keiko to be late, and she was his best friend. It was his right to be worried! Really, it was, and he would fight that point with anyone who decided it wasn't.

Especially Keiko. Kenji didn't care if she didn't like him to worry. It was his job, dammit!

"Uh...," she looked around for some reason. "At my place?"

Ugh. She needed more aspirin. The throb at the top of her head was killing her. It was small and sharp and it needed to go away.

"I was out late last night. Shit... am I missing something?" Keiko asked, now unsure of herself. She wandered back to the kitchen getting out the aspirin and taking them with a long swallow of coffee. Setting the cigarette in an ashtray, she sat down at the table again.

"Just lunch. You said to be here by one." There was a little part of him that was disappointed. Kenji knew that, really, it wasn't _exactly_ Keiko's fault she forgot. He knew what happened when she was out late, so it wasn't any surprise that she was absentminded.

But he still didn't like it much. He couldn't really understand how someone could forget a lunch that they'd set up. Wouldn't she have written it down?

Well... no. They had the same organizational patterns.

None. He hadn't written it down, he couldn't expect anyone else to.

Keiko got up and search around for her keys and went to put on her shoes. Fuck, fuck, fuck! How could she forget! It was all coming back now. Fucking late nights. Fucking drinking.

"Shit," She sighed, putting her head in her free hand. "Fuck, sorry guys. I'll be there in ten minutes. Promise."

Traffic or not, she would be there in ten minutes or less. Walking out the door she locked it behind her and ran to her car.

"I'll see you guys when I get there," she said and hung up.

"I guess she forgot then?" Haido asked, looking at Kenji questioningly.

"Mmhm." Kenji closed his phone and tucked it back into his pocket, hand moving absently up to brush his hair away from his eye. It fell right back into place, despite the movement. "I think she's hung over."

Entirely likely. He wondered if the restaurant would supply aspirin, or if they would just look at him funny if he asked.

They'd probably think he was crazy.

"She'll be here in ten minutes, though." Kenji had no doubt. Nothing could stop Keiko, not hell or high water, when she was determined. He wasn't going to get in her way tonight.

Haido's soda came, and Kenji took it from the waitress before she could hand it to Haido. Taking a quick drink, he shot Haido an almost daring grin as he offered it to him.

"You're gonna wind up with ice down your shirt if you keep it up," Haido teased, taking his drink and setting it in front of him. The waitress left the straw on the table and he pulled off one small end of it and blew the rest of the paper off, rocketing it towards Kenji. It hit him right on the forehead.

"Hah! Serves you right," he said with a sniff, putting the straw in his drink. "Does Keiko usually drink?"

"Only when she wants to have a good time." Kenji rolled his eyes at Haido and crumpled up the little strip of paper, tossing it at the smaller man's head. "It's not unusual for her to stay out all night, though."

Kenji thought that probably had a lot to do with why it always took so much effort to wake her up in the mornings, and why she was so violent. Kenji knew he could be pretty volatile when he'd only had a few hours of sleep, but he'd never kicked anyone in the chest for it.

It made him wonder how many nights in Keiko had had lately, because she was always at work before he and Haido were, which was weird. She was either early, or they were getting later by the day, which was entirely likely. It was hard for him to stay on task when Haido walked by in the morning, looking so sleepy and rumpled and so entirely sexy.

Kenji dared any man to see that and not get distracted.

"That can't be good for her," Haido commented, playing idly with the straw in his glass. "Do you guys usually spend a lot more time together?"

Which would mean it was his fault that Keiko would be out alone and drinking more. He was with Kenji so much that he didn't even know if he spent time with Keiko anymore. Well, okay, they did figure she was mad at them, so it was best to steer clear.

Maybe this is why they were all going out together? She was ready to have everything start now? If that was so, Haido figured it was like now she _allowed_ the whole set of actions to start in her world.

"Yeah..." Kenji's brow furrowed, and he couldn't help but sound a little sad. Everything he felt echoed in his voice and on his face, because he'd never let anyone tell him that he wasn't supposed to. There were just some rules he couldn't abide by.

But, he missed his nights with Keiko. His apartment used to be just for show, because he was always with her and never at home. Sometimes she got annoyed and kicked him out, so it was nice to have someplace to go, but for months (nearly years) on end, he would spend all of his time in her one bedroom apartment.

It had been nice. It was always Keiko he ran to when something went wrong, whether it had been with school, his parents, or, eventually, his job. She was always there for him, and until now, he'd always made sure to be there for her, too.

He felt guilty now that he wasn't.

"You can hang out with her too, y'know," Haido said, letting his fingers run absently over the condensation on the glass. "I loved all the time we've spent together, but she's your best friend. She's important."

He understood that. He wasn't trying to get in the way. Things were always hard at first, trying to find a good balance between friends, family, relationships and everything else. Luckily they all worked together.

Keiko cut off some other jack-off and pulled her car into the waiting space across from he diner. A horn blared. Keiko turned, grinning as she returned the favor and sent the idiot off with a one fingered salute as well.

But she was here. She was rumpled, rushed, hung-over, but she was finally here. With, maybe, about thirty seconds or so to spare. She crossed the street in a dash, narrowly avoiding more accidents. But, she was smiling as she pushed open the door, ignoring the greeter, spotting Kenji and Haido right away.

"Sorry. Long night," Keiko greeted with a wave.

_Author's Notes: Good episode. I love this show so much. I want House and Wilson together, and yet, the not always looking for gay couples in me really wants him to have his luck change with the ladies. Anyway, off topic again._

_Yeah, so this chapter was just bleh. Next chapter brings it together._

_Drop us a line!_

_SL_


	58. Chapter 58

_Disclaimer: I think we all know by now._

_Author's Notes: This is a fun chapter! This is where we find out why we put all of Opium together. It'll make sense soon enough! That's all I'm saying, because I've still got my House marathon running and this is the episode where Foreman gets tossed into quarentine with the crazy cop. Awesome._

_Enjoy!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Fifty-Eight_

He didn't know why they were out for coffee, but Taki didn't suppose it mattered. It was strange how much time they'd really been spending together since the elevator, but Taki didn't have it in him to complain. It was just easier to enjoy it in silence, because telling Tohma how much he liked it was simply out of the question.

It would be too weird, and the idea of them together, as anything besides coworkers, was already weird enough.

The cafe they were seated in was small and dimly lit, one that Taki had often visited when he was late from getting off work, and ASK was still a signed band. The patrons since then had changed, and many of the workers had as well. The ones who hadn't didn't recognize him in a suit, and that was just fine.

Taki wasn't exactly in a recognizing sort of mood.

Tohma had woken up this morning feeling overly cuddly and attentive. Especially towards Taki. He just wanted to be near him all day, and so far, that's exactly what had happened. Tohma had wanted to go out, and wanted coffee as well. He enjoyed coffee and more than anything, knew that Taki loved it.

Taki had suggested this place, and while it wasn't anywhere that Tohma frequented, if Taki wanted it, he could have it. It was a simple place, a nice steady trickle of customers, but not jam packed.

"I think they're going to be ready," Tohma said with a smile as he sipped his drink. "The concert is soon, and it's already sold out. I have to admit, I'm a little excited for them."

Really, Taki was, too. They had sold out, and that was certainly saying something about Opium's popularity. There were so few bands that actually sold out on their debut concert. Taki knew that ASK hadn't, though he would never admit it to anyone who didn't already know, and even then, it was grudgingly.

"They've worked hard." Taki agreed, though it was mostly because he and Tohma had made sure they worked hard and didn't stop until they had reached what could only be called perfection. They were merciless, but in the end, it was worth it.

Taking a slow sip of his coffee, Taki watched Tohma from over the edge of his cup. It was a little strange, because Tohma had asked him to go out and get coffee. Taki had instantly chosen this place because it was one of his favorites, but he hadn't honestly thought they would be this comfortable here.

It really was weird.

Taki wasn't acting like himself today. There was something different in his short answers. The way he was thinking before and after his answers, how he was watching Tohma. Something was certainly throwing him off.

"I'd like to think that we get a little credit, too," Tohma said with a wry smile. "All those long nights and early mornings whipping them into shape. You coming in when you could barely walk. You really keep surprising me, Taki."

And Tohma wasn't complaining in the least. He liked whatever Taki threw his way. It was a challenge, and Tohma liked handling those.

"You don't need to be able to walk to do what I do." Most of the time, anyway. And Taki was a firm believer that he could crawl if he had to, though he would never lower himself to that. "I'm surprised they didn't complain more. Especially Kenji."

That was who Taki had expected the most complaints from. But, Kenji had been driven, with one goal in mind, and they'd worked for hours without stopping until they had to take a break. After that, they were back at it.

Taki couldn't help but be impressed.

"We'll need to have them rehearse at the club. They're getting too used to the studio."

"How about a little night out then?" Tohma suggested with a shrug. "I can get a quick hook up, send them along, we go as well. They perform for a crowd, we get a good estimate of how they'll do under pressure and nerves."

And how the crowds reacted. Even if they did mess up, if the crowds still loved it, they were a definite shoe in and all their hard work will have paid off. If you can get by with only yourself noticing the mistakes, you're doing better than most.

"I think it'll be something fun for everyone," he said with a smile. "Are you up to it?"

Taki's immediate, impulse answer was no. But, he nodded slowly, finishing the coffee he had been drinking for nearly half an hour now. He set the empty cup down on the small table between them and sat up. "It's a good chance for us to tell them what they need to improve."

That was what he and Tohma were good for, after all. They'd both spent enough time on stage to know what made a good performance and what didn't.

It wasn't really hard, but new bands needed more practice then old, seasoned ones. Taki couldn't wait until Opium knew what they were supposed to do without being told. It would be such a huge weight off of his shoulders, and...

He might actually be able to enjoy his job, as strange as it sounded.

Tohma could finally put a finger on it. What Taki was exuding. Caution. To the blond, he seemed very cautious in his choice of words and movements. He wondered why, but he wouldn't ask. If Taki wanted to talk, he would.

"Well, why don't we get out of here and I can make the plans along the way?"

_Author's Notes: BAM! Did you see that? What we pulled right there? Tohma's a sneaky bitch, yessiree-bob and boy-howdy! I hate all the needles in this show, I really do. I can live though! I know how this one plays out and ends, but I like refreshers on good episodes. _

_So, yes. Tohma and Taki are being sneaky. This has a reason to. We'll find out a little more next chapter._

_SL_


	59. Chapter 59

_Disclaimer: WHEEEEEEEEEE!_

_Author's Notes: The House marathon is still going strong, folks! Good news! I'm on season three, episode seven, part three. The last part. Awesome! But, there's so much more to go. Goes to 12 episodes, four parts to the last one, and then no more. I'll be at this for a while. XD_

_This chapter is a little more interaction with Opium. We get to see the healing process begin. Just a smidge. By that, I mean Keiko accepting Haido and Kenji's relatinship. It's not that she doesn't like gay people, well, it could be that she does, she just loved Kenji enough to not let it bother her. She's just trying to get back in with him now, trying to accept Haido._

_Take a look for yourself._

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Fifty-Nine_

Things had gone over exceedingly well with Keiko, once she had arrived. Yes, she had been out drinking. No, she didn't go home with anyone. Yes, she had taken enough aspirin and if Kenji didn't stop asking questions she'd throttle him.

Haido just wanted to make sure the air was clear between all three of them. He wanted to make sure they knew that he wanted Kenji and Keiko to keep up the great friendship they'd had for years.

But now there way this, of all things! Taki had gotten in touch with them to tell them their night off was no longer a night off. They were going to do a practice run, so to speak. Playing live in front of a crowd at a bar.

Kenji finally let loose with a complaint as they all piled into Keiko's car. Slumping into the backseat and onto Haido, he groaned as he reached to pull the door shut behind him. He let his head drop into Haido's lap, knees bent and up even though he knew he would have to move and buckle his seat belt in a second.

"I can't believe they would do this!" Okay, yes he could, but he didn't want to. "What happened to a day off? It doesn't say 'On the seventh day, they practiced!' They've gone fucking psychotic."

It wasn't hard for Kenji to believe, either. They'd been working nonstop for days. He'd been living off two hours of sleep and gallons of coffee. He could practically feel the bags under his eyes.

He didn't want to sing tonight. He just wanted to spend a night out with Keiko and Haido, take Haido home with him, and collapse into bed. He didn't even want sex! All Kenji wanted to do was sleep.

"Seatbelt, whiner," Keiko said, glancing into the rearview mirror to look at her two bandmates. She rolled down the window after starting the car, lighting a cigarette.

Haido smiled, rolling his eyes as he pushed Kenji up off his lap. He buckled himself in, not yet aware of how Keiko drove.

"Kenji, c'mon," he said. "It'll be fun! Besides, aren't you a little excited about performing outside of the studio?"

Haido certainly was. Tohma and Taki had taken care of the transport of their instruments to the bar they were playing at, so they would already be there.

"Last warning," Keiko said, pulling into the street. "Seatbelt."

Kenji knew the last warning meant the last warning before his head went through a window. So, he reached for his seatbelt as Keiko pulled out, buckling it before she could slam into traffic.

"I don't want to sing tonight." Kenji crossed his arms loosely over his chest, leaning into the corner of his seat. "I just want to go home and sleep."

And if Kenji didn't want to sing, it was likely he wouldn't let anyone make him. He wanted to sleep, and to be able to warm up before he sang. He didn't like the idea of being thrust onstage without preparation just because Tohma and Taki were bored.

In fact, it pissed him off.

Keiko shook her head as Kenji bitched a little more. Again, she still didn't care. If the boss wanted it, he would get it. It wasn't a hard concept. Now, if Kenji couldn't give a good performance... well, he just wouldn't be walking.

She flicked ash out the window, glancing up at the mirror again only to see Haido lean over to Kenji and whisper something in his ear. Kenji turned red. Keiko decided she'd like to pull over and gag.

If nothing else, Kenji would probably be singing.

_Author's Notes: Kenji's a little bitch, huh? Whiney thing. I bet he's got enough energy for Haido instead of sleep, given the options. I love it! We'll see what's going to go down with this concert dealy next chapter. It's going to be so much fun!_

_In other news, Kel seems to have hit a creative dry spell with the sequel. Personally, I dunno how you do that. Sometimes I get stuck on a sex scene, or when someone boxes me into a corner and I'd have to do the cliche thing, and I hate doing the cliche thing. Really, I do. Otherwise, it's just words. You move forward, you take a chance, let the Character take over. I guess it's not so simple for other people. _

_In the mean time, a desperate attempt by me to keep her in Taki mode, I've suggest a high school ficlet, if you will. Currently, we're enjoying that. I figure less pressure, some way she can keep in character without feeling rushed between that and life and school... should do her some good. Of course, this would be AU, so to speak. For all we know Tohma and Taki did go to the same high school._

_Either way, it's turning out silly and fun. I just might post it, if for some reason this finishes and that one finishes, but the sequel hasn't yet. Something to keep you all entertained. What meager audiences we have. Oh! Also, any of you music lovers on the East Coast. If you're looking for that punky rock smidge of pop sound with lyrics that might actually impress you, I suggest taking a look at the band 'Say Anything'. It's primarily what I listen to when I write. They may be a tad mainstream these days, especially with the CultSpace explosion, but still, I recommend it. Although their new video to the song 'Wow, I Can Get Sexual Too' is funny, but it's not their best song. I say East Coast, because they're an LA based band, so I'm not sure how far out word has gotten. _

_So, please enjoy and drop us a line!_

_SL_


	60. Chapter 60

_Disclaimer: Blah blah blah blah._

_Author's Notes: The House marathon ended this afternoon, and I must say, I love the show, and I'd STILL marry Hugh Laurie. In other news I'm probably going to upload less now that we've hit chapter sixty. I know, I know! So close, yet so far! But, now that I've seen how close we are to the end, how not finished we are with the sequel, I've personally decided to upload at least every other day. Sorry._

_I lied a bit last chapter. I said this was going to be the performance dealy. I was wrong and miscalcutlated myself. NEXT chapter is the actual performance. My bad. This is more Taki and Tohma. This will actually be a good time to pay attention to the interaction. Keeping their behaviors in mind for future reference._

_Yes, it will be on the test._

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Sixty_

"Taki!" Tohma called as he avoided getting hit with an amp. "Over here."

He had sent Taki back to N-G to help make sure all the right things were packed up to be sent over. While he trusted all his employees, this was their band, and better safe than sorry any day.

The blond walked quickly over to the man who had entered, smiling already.

"They're on their way?"

"That's what they said." Taki glanced around at the state of the club, decided it was well on its way to being organized the way it needed to be, and turned his eyes back to Tohma. "I'm sure they'll make it here in one piece."

Well, he hoped they did. Tonight would not be a good night for Keiko's driving to send them into a ditch.

Taki absolutely refused to be the one to go get them. They could crawl their way here, or suffer the consequences tomorrow. Whether they realized it or not, they needed the public practice, and as far as he was concerned, they could call it a dress rehearsal.

He didn't really give a shit. It was as likely as not he wasn't getting paid for being here.

"I promised the owner a good crowd," Tohma said, looking around the empty place. "He closed out now so we could set up. I was able to get someone to place a few announcements about tonight on the radio. Word is bound to spread."

Other wise he'd be out a bit of money. True, they were not getting paid, not even what the customers would pay to get in, but it was only fair to make up for losses if they couldn't draw a crowd that was promised.

"You've been a little off today, Taki," Tohma said, finally getting it off his chest. "Is something the matter?"

He was tempted to give Tohma the honest answer, because he knew it would get the expected response. But, Taki wasn't the sort of man who just blurted out what he was feeling or thinking, so he shook his head. "No. I'm just tired."

It would have been understandable if it were true. They had been working pretty hard.

Taki was confident that the club would be packed as soon as everything really started, though. They had all worked hard to get to this point (well, not this point, but a point near it), and it would either be packed, or Taki would start packing people in.

"Of course," Tohma said with a serious nod of agreement.

The blond left it at that, because he knew Taki was keeping things again. He may have been overworked and tired, but he would like to think that he knew Taki. Taki was always strongly in a mood, good or bad, no matter how tired.

This was an unexciting Taki standing next to him. Boring almost. Another worker drone in his hive. This wasn't why he'd gone after Taki so much.

Why had he?

Tohma stepped away from the other man, and began directing around the movers, leaving his thoughts behind to focus on what was ahead.

_Author's Notes: There's always been a lot of questioning with these two. Just take some special notes this time. You may realize what's going on sooner than everyone else if you do. But, just enjoy the story either way. _

_Drop us a line!_

_SL_


	61. Chapter 61

_Disclaimer: Bleeeeeeeeeh._

_Author's Notes: Okay, so I lied again. You love me though! I kept this a separate chapter because of the interesting interactions between everyone. You'll see what I mean when you read. It's just a great amount of exciment. Buzzing. WOO! Y'know?_

_Anyways, Anon, I'm so sorry I haven't thanked you in a while! Forgive me! I get so caught up writing the A/Ns that I forget I have people to thank until after I post. And Cocoke5, thanks for your reviews too. I'm glad you both enjoy it. The reviews are always aprreciated, I don't mind if they're repeated or anything. Sometimes you guys come up with thought provoking stuff! Like the whole BAD LUCK situation and whatnot. _

_Enjoy!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Sixty-One_

"Out," Keiko said, shutting off the engine. "Now."

She unbuckled the seatbelt and got out of the car, flicking the smoldering cigarette butt into the street. She watched as it miraculously avoided being run over, was almost across the street, and then a car whizzed by and squashed it. Poor cigarette butt. It had almost made it.

Keiko wasn't pissed so much as she was getting in the mood to play. Albeit, Kenji whining more and more and Haido doing things to try and shut him up hadn't helped, but that wasn't the real cause of her mood. She needed alone time, maybe a drink or two, and music.

The parking lot was packed, but Kenji wasn't nervous. He was growing serious, now, sobering from his whining and climbing out of the car. He recognized the NG symbol on every car he saw except Keiko's, and that made him secure in the idea that they weren't late.

Yet.

He hadn't let go of Haido's hand, so he was pulled out of the car when Kenji go out, and Kenji was entirely focused. They were going to be performing, their first (surprise) concert in a little under twenty minutes. He didn't have make up on, his hair was starting to grow out, and his clothes were comfortable rather then showy...

But he was SO ready for this!

Haido shut the door behind him, he heard it sound off as Keiko locked it up. It nearly made him jump. Nerves weren't a problem, but apprehension was.

What if they couldn't do this at all? What if Keiko and Kenji could and he couldn't? What if he messed up everything they'd worked so hard on? He wouldn't be able to live with himself. He was a perfectionist. He loved his music and his work.

He gave Kenji's hand an absentminded squeeze as Keiko breezed passed them. He envied her in a way. She was confident no matter what, it seemed.

Keiko was starting to get nervous. On the inside. She could feel a tingle in her gut telling her that this was bad. She wanted to undo last night, undo this hangover... what if her fingers got slow because of it?

She pushed opened the door, nothing showing on her face, only looking back to call for Haido and Kenji to hurry up.

Kenji was already hurrying to catch up, following Keiko and pulling Haido along with him. He wasn't nervous. There was no way he could be nervous. He'd been looking forward to this his entire life. At least, it felt like his entire life. It didn't matter how long he'd been looking forward to it, because it was happening.

It was really happening.

He was way too excited to be nervous. Or, maybe he was so nervous, he didn't know it. It didn't really matter, because either way, he was grinning when he caught sight of Tohma and Taki, all ill-contained excited energy.

"When do we go on?" He wanted to go! He didn't care about warming up, even though he knew he had to. He just wanted to get onstage and sing, because that was what he lived to do.

Keiko was nearly bowled over as Kenji dodged past, dragging Haido behind, who looked shocked out of a dream. They were quite a pair.

Tohma smiled as he always did, with the calm patience of a parent who was used to dealing with this far too many times to let it annoy him. Kenji was excited. That was good. It meant energy for the performance. Somehow, things like that seemed to transfer between people. Like giggling. When one starts, a chain reaction happens.

"Very shortly," the blond answered. "I would suggest checking your equipment."

Even though none of it was damaged, it was still something he always did, and it wasn't exactly a bad habit to get into. Keiko seemed to like that idea right away. She needed to do something and badly. Checking the tuning on the guitar would help relieve some of this nervousness.

"When are they letting the people in?" Haido asked, almost at once reverting back to the quiet timid person he was when this all started.

"Now," said Tohma, face never changing as Haido inhaled sharply, eyes darting to the door and letting go of Kenji's hand to rush to his equipment.

He felt his eyes widen. Kenji felt the first stab of nervousness, though it was so minor it only increased his determination and excitement. Still grinning, still happy, he bounced on the balls of his feet as Keiko and Haido rushed away.

"Is there any water anywhere?" He needed water to hydrate, and to clear out his throat. He wouldn't be able to hit some of the deeper notes, because it dropped his jaw too much and made him feel pretty gritty, but the more he got warmed up as they went on, the better he'd do.

Kenji knew it. There was no doubt in his mind that they could do this. He had confidence in Haido and Keiko to do their best, and he had confidence in their music. They would be great.

"At the bar." Taki had his arms crossed over his chest, and he didn't look away from the front door, where there was a slow stream of people filing in. More would come. "There's no bartender, but it's in the back."

It had to say something about Kenji's energy level, because he just grinned and nodded, all but skipping away with a happy, "Thanks!"

Tohma continued smiling as he watched Kenji's retreating form, and turned his attention to Haido and Keiko on the small stage area, both quiet and serious as they looked over certain things.

Still watching them, he spoke to Taki, not moving as people trickled in at an excitedly slow pace.

"It's not exactly formal, is it?" he mused, the corners of his eyes crinkling just a bit in amusement. "Usually we'd have them open for a larger band. We really haven't done anything by the book, have we?"

And some how, that question seemed opened ended. Able to be applied to many things that had happened over the time they had all spent working together. Tohma watched Taki just slightly from the corner of his eyes.

"I think I'm set, what about you?" Haido said under his breath to Keiko, although he was still checking and rechecking.

"Yeah, I'm good," she replied shortly. "We just need the spaz."

Haido smiled just slightly and glanced over at her. "What we were talking about before... I don't want to get in the way of your friendship. Feel free to kick me out anytime. Not literally," he quickly added on, and he saw Keiko's should shake in a slight chuckle.

Glancing up at Tohma out of the corner of his eye, Taki's look could almost be called sharp. But, the hint of a smile on his face canceled that, and he shrugged thin shoulders. "You know I can't do anything by the book, Seguchi-san."

He used the title with a coy sort of teasing, one that was almost malicious. It barely managed not to be, and Taki turned his gaze away from Tohma to look at the stage.

Who gave a damn if it wasn't traditional? Taki lived for the untraditional, and it was by the untraditional means that people found themselves shocked, intrigued. It made them by albums, it bought them publicity...

Opium NEEDED untraditional. They needed this.

"Ready?" Kenji skipped steps on his way up the stage, the water bottle in his hands already half gone. He'd spit it out into the sink, but the rest he was actually going to drink, because it would clear out his throat more then his mouth.

Either way, tonight was going to be one hell of a night.

Tohma pressed his lips together to keep his smile from growing wider. In all the time he had spent with Taki, hearing the formal title with such a tone was amusing. There was usually a nasty intention tacked on with that name, but not this time.

"Let's go over to the bar before this place is packed against the walls," he said, turning away from the band and heading to the bar.

It always felt the same when it happened. That first moment. Like he was cutting the strings and the puppets were left to become real, or to lay flat forever. There was always this point of no return. When he wouldn't be needed anymore.

_Author's Notes: If you can pick up anything from this chapter, you can tell just how things will probably turn out. Maybe not exactly. This is how things are going to be in their lives, more than the performance. Exciting! I think I'll upload that tonight just to get it over with. WOO!_

_Drop us a line._

_SL_


	62. Chapter 62

_Disclaimer: Wooooo!_

_Author's Notes: Guess what I forgot to mention? I gots a job. Yay me! This isn't bogus like the daycare (we won't go there because I don't like them). Out in California, the best job I ever had was working as a Character at Six Flags. There's one near me in Jersey, so I went there to apply for the same department. I got that job. I expect lots more fun in my life now. I suggest it for anyone who likes having a lot of fun where they work. _

_That aside, since the park will be opening soon and I need to figure out a schedule with them, I expect to be confused and swamped most of the time. Because Six Flags, no matter how organized they seem, is always in a rush. I think Corporate just likes to fuck with them. XD_

_Anywhoo! This is the actual performance. It's generalized, but you can see where it all goes wrong. If you can't, maybe it's more subtle than I thought. Sorry. Also, I have confirmed that Kel will actually be giving us an A/N around chapter 64, I think it is. She owes me big time, so it'll get done. YAY!_

_Enjoy!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Sixty-Two_

Haido looked up at Kenji and just nodded. He was still so nervous. Now that Kenji was here, it was really going to happen, and he didn't trust any part of himself, not even his voice.

Keiko rolled her eyes, pushing her hair back absently. "We were only waiting for you, your highness," she said, sticking her tongue out at him.

She looked and saw the people milling around. The small group was still growing, thriving, _living_. It seemed as though all those people were just a part of some living thing. In a sense, they were. They were the part of a growing crowd.

"We should get started, then!" Kenji was so ready to go. He was ready to sing. He trusted Taki and Tohma when they said everything was hooked up. It was hooked up, there were people inside...

But not enough. Kenji was more then ready to pull a Kotani Kinya and go out to collect more people and bring them in, but there were more people coming, and he could see Taki and Tohma retreat to the bar.

It was a good thing, too, because in a matter of seconds, the building was noticeably more filled.

Kenji was so, so excited. So past excited. He wanted this. He'd wanted this for so long. This was going to be better than Ramune. Better than anime. Better than sex!

This was going to be the best.

Finally the place was packed in a few more minutes, the capacity definitely exceeded. The room was loud with excited talking and hollering that usually accompanied a show. But one thing was for sure. They were all waiting. It was that hushed tone that let the entire band know that they were waiting for something. For them.

Haido, still ever worried, was looking around. For all this was worth, they hadn't even talked about how to start! Would Kenji say something? Or would they just start playing? Too many possible options.

Keiko didn't seem to look worried at all. She was calmly staring out at the crowd milling about. Was she worried too? Hell yes. Kenji was a spaz, and there was no telling how this was going to work out. When the crowd started getting impatient, she looked over at Kenji, waiting for him to do something.

He was the leader at this point.

Finally, Kenji was nervous. His stomach was tight, and it took him a fair amount of effort to be steady as he leaned down to set aside the empty water bottle. The crowd was quiet and waiting, expectant.

Kenji knew he was supposed to say something. More then anyone else, he could feel the judging eyes of Tohma and Taki on them.

Approaching the microphone, someone cheered as he smiled widely. It made him want to blush, but that was hardly appropriate, and Kenji just grabbed the stand and swung the microphone (carefully) around to him.

"Evening, everyone!" He was happy. He was nervous, and excited, and just as expectant as everyone else. "We're Opium, and we just want to start the night by thanking you all for coming to see us!"

He didn't know what song they were going to play first, but he would know by the beat and the chords. And, if he was lucky, either Haido and Keiko would tell him.

Keiko almost wanted to laugh. There was a pause now. Kenji had made his speech. That was it. It was just very like him. Then it hit the crowd and they cheered, loud and proud. Audience participation was always needed.

She saw Haido looking stiff, albeit as neutral as when they first started and he spoke only when spoken to and played when told to. Kenji was still grinning like a dork, so, she shook her head, readied herself and played out a basic chord to snap everyone out of it.

The crowd went nuts, she flipped her hair over her shoulder and smiled in an almost haughty manner as she looked over to Haido, who seemed to be shaken up.

"Third one," she said simply, and the opening chords into the third song on their album.

Haido followed with a mechanical, practiced ease. He looked almost stunned, as if he didn't realize he was doing it, before he finally relaxed into it.

Kenji was waiting until the chords repeated, until it felt like the right time to him to sing. They'd never worked out a live set before, never timed the pauses where Haido would remix or Keiko would get a solo. Like everything they did the first time, it would be a throw together, and hopefully it wouldn't sound like crap.

Most of their original tracks did, and they all knew it.

Kenji knew the song, and it was the most heart stopping moment of his life to look down at all the people and know he had to open his mouth and sing. He wanted to turn away, look at something small and unimposing, but he forced his eyes to stay staring down at the crowd as he started the first line, a little shaky at first, but fast gaining confidence.

Just like in everything they did, it was slow at the beginning, but gradually building, cresting, until Kenji felt like he was alone, just the three of them in the studio. He was bent nearly double over the microphone, hair sticking to his face because the lights were bright as they played song after song until he lost track of what he was singing.

It didn't seem important anymore, so long as they didn't stop.

Tohma wasn't extremely impressed. He was hard to please as it was, and he wasn't expecting the performance of a seasoned group. They did well, the crowd seemed to love it from the sound of it.

Mostly he was paying attention to flaws. Of course there were good things to point out. Kenji had the energy to keep a crowd. But, he relied a little too heavily on his bandmates. That was his own personal opinion though, not really a flaw. Haido did eventually relax, but he was too stiff and introverted when it all started. Sometimes, it had to be all or nothing. Keiko seemed to perform well under pressure like this, but it seemed too well. Not purposely, but it did look a little like she was trying to upstage her bandmates with that haughty attitude she gave off.

It was too loud to talk about anything with Taki, and no doubt when they were done playing they would be rushed by fans, which meant the noise wouldn't leave them. Tohma did find this whole day entertaining, and this was just another positive to add.

It was just a short time left until the first concert. Tohma was already making arraignments for choreography. They couldn't just be left to their own devices. Besides, it was more work for them, and fairly amusing for Tohma and Taki.

_Author's Notes: Oh man, Opium's gonna geeeeeet iiiiiiit! You know they are. Ah, well. They're dumb. Anyways, I don't have much to talk about. I'm kinda sleepy. Have fun!_

_Drop us a line!_

_SL_


	63. Chapter 63

_Disclaimer: Blaaaaaaaaaah._

_Author's Notes: Okay, so last chapter was fun, wasn't it? Here's a little aftermath and what Opium is going to have to deal with come tomorrow. And just some cute little interaction with Tohma and Taki. I particularly love the ending of this chapter. It makes me smile._

_Anon, don't take it so harsh! I might have jumped ahead of myself thinking the readers could figure it out. After all, only Kel and I know what's going to happen next. So, maybe it was extremely more subtle than I thought. It a 'my bad' moment. Besides, what's going to happen is just helping along the main plot. And once Kel's back from her three day hiatus, we'll be getting back to work on the sequel and I'll forget to do A/Ns. XD_

_Enjoy!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Sixty-Three_

It was quiet in the club now. The fans had gone, the band had gone, and it was just those poor souls left cleaning up. Taki and Tohma weren't among them, but near the bar, as they had been for the entire impromptu concert. Taki leaned against a stool, glancing up at Tohma from his intent stare at the empty stage.

"They need to work on their performance." He decided finally, not at all ashamed for being an open critic of the band he'd been working with for months. It was his job. "They're still raw, they need a set for the concert, they need to relax before they get on stage and stop trying to show each other up."

Okay, so they hadn't all been trying, but there was definite showing off on Keiko's part. No guitarist should look that haughty. She was good, but not so good that she couldn't be taken down a notch or two. It needed to be done. The band had to be on an even level, or up in front of a real crowd in a packed concert hall, they'd collapse and they'd never be able to perform anywhere again.

There wasn't a club or hall in Japan that wanted a band that couldn't bring in money.

"Yes," Tohma agreed absently, watching someone sweep. "We have their playing down, and now we need to teach them how to live with this life. They have to understand certain things."

Things like working together, but holding their own. Kenji was in charge. While he relied on the band to play, he needed to hold up his part and lead. Keiko needed to learn that she wasn't the only one out there. Haido needed to see that he deserved to be more involved.

"I say we work on that for the next... two weeks," he decided, pausing to make sure it would be enough time. Since it wouldn't really be work to them (they had to make it seem like that anyway) days off would be far and few between. It should be enough to shape them up little in that area.

"Choreography," the blond said next. "They still need something, and I think that's it. It would help give them direction on stage at least, no?"

"It should." Taki knew how much he'd hated learning the choreography for a concert, and how often he'd deviated from it, but it was good to have something to fall back on it he needed it. Knowing where to go or what to do if he'd backed himself into a corner and didn't know how to get out of it.

But two weeks? Would it be enough to teach them concert etiquette? They were probably congratulating themselves now on a job well done, but it hadn't been well done. The crowd had loved it, but from the eyes of a professional, it was sloppy and mismatched.

They needed the work, or they'd never make it as a band. They'd fall apart.

"We need to work on bringing Keiko down a notch, and making Haido less of a hired musician." Taki knew that Kenji didn't perceive Haido that way, but it wasn't what Kenji saw that mattered. It was what Haido saw, and Taki had been working with those three long enough to know that Haido considered himself a paid addition.

"Kenji needs to learn how to lead his own band," he added with a sigh as he got off of the barstool. "He has the confidence, he just doesn't know how to do it."

Two weeks had to be enough time, because there wasn't enough of it to go around. Sure, they could stretch the etiquette for the rest of the time until the concert, but they would have to learn the choreography at the same time, and Tohma felt that might lead to another unnecessary hiatus.

Two weeks. Maybe three. He would have to think on it, depending on how they took to the choreography. Tohma's mind was circling with a million different thoughts and ideas, but his work day was over.

"Starting tomorrow?" he questioned with a quirked eyebrow and a slight smile. Which meant Taki had the opportunity to lay into them fully tomorrow.

The smile made him grin. Taki knew what the smile meant, and his grin was a little more cruel then it needed to be. But, he simply loved the idea of being given permission to do what he wanted when it came to his job.

He would do what he wanted anyway, but at least now he knew he wouldn't get fired for it. It would be too inconvenient to lose his job over some trivial labor detail.

"Starting tomorrow. I want to concentrate on Kenji, because if he can get it, the other two can. If you can work with Haido, we can take Keiko together." Because they would need combined forces to take down that attitude, no doubt.

Maybe they'd remove any flying objects from the room first, because Taki was not at all interested in another hospital trip. It just didn't fit into his schedule anymore.

Singer to singer, synth player to synth player. It was almost perfectly planned out. If the Haido and Kenji could shape up, it was more likely that all four of them would start on Keiko. The only problem was, that Keiko couldn't get rid of Kenji and Haido when work was over.

"Alright," the blond said with a decisive nod. "Meeting tomorrow, then we divide and conquer."

It wasn't too late yet, he decided looking at his watch. He looked over at Taki. "Dinner?" he offered.

_Author's Notes: See? It was a cute ending. I love it! Next chapter, we'll have an A/N from Kel! Isn't that awesome? I told her, that if she doesn't do it this time, I'll just have to tell you all I'm crazy and she's my imaginary friend and I've been lying this whole time._

_Crap. Kel is actually having a bump in her personal life, which may mean she won't be doing A/Ns for the next chapter. Shit. Sorry guys. I'll have to see if she's up for it come tomorrow, because right now is a tad volatile. Sorry._

_Also, I have a request to make of the audience! Woo! Participation! I think the people will be able to help more, since I read it on there. Someone, a random reader, I'm assuming, has recently messaged me online. They're trying to find a fic, and now that they mentioned it, I wouldn't mind reading it again. _

_It was a threesome fic, a oneshot I believe, with Yuki, Shuichi and Tatsuha. Some drugs were slipped to Shuichi and then it happened. If this sounds familiar or someone could give me a title, it would be very much appreciated! Thanks!_

_Drop us a line anyways. _

_SL_


	64. Chapter 64

_Disclaimer: Wooooo!_

_Author's Notes: Well, I'm trying to keep myself distracted as hell, these days. Been a big rough spot in life and I'm trying to work through it. Better things to come, right? Kel says it's weird to hear optimism from a realist. I have to agree. Sometimes I think I sound like I'm shitting unicorns and rainbows! But that is not the point. lol_

_Silverone, thank you for the story. I'm not sure if that one was exactly it, but it seems like it! I'll pass it along to my friend person thing and see if that was the one they were looking for._

_This is the fun chapter. It's full of fun. Yes it is!_

_Enjoy!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Sixty-Four_

Keiko was not as hung over as she would've liked to be, but it was still obvious from the look on her face that said, 'make any loud noise and I will kill you'. They did celebrate after the concert. Kenji couldn't shut up about it.

Keiko celebrated after that on her own. She was having fun, until Taki informed her of an early meeting in the morning. She had to pack up and get to bed if she wanted to get to work on time.

Now, they were in the meeting room that they hadn't seen the inside of for a while, and even though she was sitting up straight and her arms were crossed, she was starting to nod off. Tohma was here writing down something, Haido and Kenji were here. Taki had yet to arrive on the scene.

Taki didn't seem at all perturbed by the hung over faces as he came into the room. Hands on his hips as the door shut behind him, he was well aware that he was going to have to sit down in a few seconds, because his legs were beginning to ache in a serious way.

"Did you celebrate last night?" Kenji gave him a sleepy grin in answer, and Taki snorted, shaking his head and dropping himself into a seat at the table. "You shouldn't have. The performance was horrible. Your stage presences need work, and I don't intend to let you near another stage until you meet my standards."

And he and Tohma were very clear on their standards. They were both expecting the same thing from this band, and Opium wasn't touching a stage instrument until they were ready to handle them.

Tohma set his pen down, folding his hands in his lap and leaning back into his chair as Taki had come in. He watched the group before him with the usual amount of interest, letting them all speak before he would say anything.

Keiko was the first to get defensive. She bristled immediately, sitting up, awake and at full attention. She slapped a hand down on the table, making Haido blink and flinch back even though he was sitting on the other side of the table.

"The hell are you talk about?" she snapped. "Considering you threw us up there in front of a crowd at the last minute, I think we did pretty well."

Her eyes narrowed, flickering over to her bandmates for support on this. Haido averted his eyes, feeling guilty, like it was a bad show because of him. It was a natural reaction.

Kenji flared defensively, sitting up with an almost-glare. "You didn't give us any warning! We didn't have any time to prepare!" He was adamant on it. They'd done fine! Better then they should have, considering, but he knew by Taki's face that according to him, what they were saying wasn't true.

"You're wrong." Taki shot them a positively pleasant smile, hands clasped innocently on the table. Really, he was closer to breaking then they knew. This was so pathetic. "You've known about your upcoming concert for months - you should have been prepared for a tiny club appearance."

He stood, cutting Kenji off before he could leap to the defense again. "You should have been ready, should have already formed a set, or at least thought of one. The songs didn't go well together, they clashed and sent Kenji's voice up and down the scale in a way that's horribly unappealing at a concert. It's impressive, but it's grating. It won't happen again."

Slipping his hands in his pockets, he took his time moving around the table, toward Tohma. "Haido's stiff, the keyboard was mechanical. It needs work. I'm not a synth player, I'll leave that to Tohma's expertise." His voice sharpened as he focused in on Keiko, and he felt almost as if he were dealing with Ma.

"A guitarist has no business trying to show up the head of the band. It's your job to start in the songs, carry the tune and set the tone, but it's Kenji's job to make the audience feel it. Playing with a smirk that has your head up your ass isn't going to get you on a big stage any sooner."

At the head of the table now, Taki put his hands on it. This was his job. Tohma was the president of the company, but Taki was the manager of the band. "Another performance like last night will not happen again. Starting today, you'll each begin a separate training in the morning, and choreography in the afternoons. There will be no compromise, this is not a debatable schedule."

Tohma smiled slightly as he watched Taki go about. He raised an eyebrow when he heard the direct announcement of the schedule. Well, that certainly covered everything. It made him want to laugh at how it had all been handled.

Keiko was beyond pissed. "Head up my ass? Head up my ass!" She stood up now, face reddening in anger. "Because I took charge when Kenji was clueless, I have my head up my ass?"

Haido was sitting there quietly, glancing over at Tohma discreetly. He'd done something wrong. He didn't like having anything wrong. It meant he was letting his bandmates down. He hated letting others down on his account.

"Sit down, please," the blond said easily, staring Keiko down.

"No! I want to know why I'm the only one-"

"You're not," Haido said quietly. "They've pointed out faults in all of us as a band."

Tohma nodded, looking at Keiko expectantly. She was visibly trembling, holding everything back. Swallowing it back.

"Do we have any other complaints?" he asked pleasantly. When no one said anything, he got up from his chair. "Then, Haido please come with me. I'm working with you in private for the first few times."

Haido got up from his chair, muttering his thanks. "Taki, can you handle both of them today?"

Shooting Tohma his best, 'of course,' look, Taki didn't seem to notice that Kenji was slipping over to Keiko, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and whispering those strict friend things, the things that always got them in trouble if they were heard. Things like, 'don't worry, he doesn't know what he's talking about; you were fine.'

Taki DID know what he was talking about, and he'd show it to him using whatever means he had to. If he had to call Ma back from America to get him to teach Keiko how to really play a guitar, then dammit, he'd do it.

"Come on. We're taking the studio today." Haido and Tohma could use a different one, but for now, their original studio had both a guitar and a microphone, though Taki wasn't entirely sure how he was going to handle both Keiko and Kenji at the same time.

Things could end up becoming just a little bloody.

"Have fun," Tohma said cheerfully, nudging Haido out of the office. They were going to go out for a walk. He didn't need to be thrown back into a studio. He needed to learn how to live and enjoy things.

Not exactly according to the book, but nothing had been this far.

Keiko shrugged Kenji away from her. She was still livid, but by this time it had turned into a choked up feeling. Her throat was thick and her eyes bright. She would not say another word until she could do it without the slightest hint of tears.

She just waited, glowering until they were told where to go.

"Kenji." Taki didn't turn as he addressed the singer, who was trying hard not to look hurt as Keiko shoved him away. He knew she didn't really mean to hurt him, but it still hurt on an emotional level that he couldn't help. "We'll meet you in the studio. We won't be long."

Nodding his head slowly, Kenji took the underlying order and moved ahead of Taki with a soft, "okay."

He had a feeling this wasn't a conversation he wanted to hear. Not any of it. He hoped Taki was ready to be hit, or cried on, because Keiko's mood right now could go either way. Taki didn't really seem like the kind of guy who would know what to do.

When Kenji was gone, Taki turned to face Keiko, looking less imposing then he had in the meeting room and more like the thin, tired man he was fast becoming. "I think we need to make a few things clear, Keiko."

It was a soft voice, a regular speaking voice that Taki found himself using less and less. Concerts were stressful for everybody, both the band and the staff. Taki knew they weren't the only ones feeling it.

"I'd talk with you," she said tightly, teeth clenched, as her hands curled into fists at her side. "But my head must be too far up my ass."

Keiko blinked hard, and turned away sharply to storm over to one corner of the room, closest to the window. She knew she was acting like a brat. She knew she had no right to question two professionals in the business.

It didn't make it hurt any less.

Looking out the window, she decided she'd rather be home and working a few shitty jobs than have someone like Taki say something like that about her. Keiko thought Taki had nothing to say to her that would fix anything. She was a little arrogant, so what? What had he been, then?

After what he'd done with his career, she didn't think Taki had a right to say anything about how she played. Hearing it from Tohma would've been better than this. Knowing what he had done to a rival band made her all the angrier.

"Keiko." Taki didn't continue with the soft voice, but snapped right back into the hard, 'I'm your manager, and you are going to listen to me' tone. "Opium's best interests come above mine, or Tohma's, and right now, they need to come above yours." He wasn't into making another speech. Taki felt way too tired for this shit.

Pushing a hand through his hair, he didn't follow Keiko to the corner of the room. He wasn't a comfort sort of person. He was business today, because they were behind and they needed to catch up.

"I know you're pissed, but as a musician, I know you're going to try to play better now then you ever have before. Right now, Tohma and I don't have the expertise to focus on what you need," Taki had had a profession where he NEEDED to be the focus, he'd been able to get away with a haughty stage presence. Keiko couldn't, and Taki knew he would have had the very same reaction she was having now if someone had said to him what he'd said to her. "We're trying to work with Kenji and Haido to get them to the place they need to be. After that, everything might come together; or it might not."

And the might not was most definitely up to Keiko. She could make or break this band, and Taki wasn't entirely certain that she knew just how much. It wasn't unheard of. One member could leave a band, and nine times out of ten, the band wouldn't even try replacements. They'd just drop a record label entirely.

"You're a talented artist, but I'm not sure how to get you to understand what I'm trying to tell you." See, this was why he was gay. Women confused the fuck out of him.

No, she understood completely. It didn't mean she liked it any. And that was fine with her. Really, she wanted to break the fucking window. On impulse, she felt that need, but she held it back.

And what made him so sure of anything? Maybe she would play worse, just to prove some non-existent point. What did he know? It would just be proving she was a bitchy, bratty kid, but she would feel better.

Until the outrage and anger wore off, and then she'd feel guilty.

"What the fuck do I do if you're busy with Kenji, and he's busy with Haido?" Keiko asked, still as angry as before, but her resolve was weakening just slightly.

It made Taki smile, even if it wasn't necessarily happy. At least she was quick to the point, though it was starting to grate on his nerves. Still, it didn't reflect in his voice, and Taki was seriously convinced he was spending too much time around Tohma to be healthy.

"That's what I want you to tell me. What do you need out of this, Keiko?" She'd know best, after all, and if she didn't, he would stick her in with all of the studio musicians who knew how to perform onstage.

In fact, he might end up doing that anyway. There was an excess of them. Too many bands on the NG label and not nearly enough positions for the poor losers signed only to fill places.

Well, he could give them something to do. They knew their choreography, at least. They knew how to be natural on stage.

Opium needed that.

Keiko gave a tight lipped sigh, rolling her eyes, and looking back out the window. How was she supposed to know? After all, they were the ones that had a problem with her.

"I guess I need to learn my place," she muttered, resting her head against the window.

And that was hard. When you had a friend like Kenji and a family like hers, her place had always been to be domineering, bitchy. Some times, that did take over to a point where she just took what she thought was hers.

Now, suddenly, she was supposed to drop to the back and let Kenji take control. When she did things for him, she did it because she cared. Maybe it did get to be too much sometimes. After all, he was growing up, in a sense.

Grudgingly, she said, "You tell me what I should do next. I'll do it."

The smile was still there, and Taki was fucking convinced it was going to break his face. How could Tohma smile like this all the time? It was no wonder he could be such a damn bastard sometimes.

"I want you to meet a few people. Then I want you to pick two of them, a location - a studio or a lounge, it doesn't matter - and I want you to work."

That was his final decision. It was sealed with a nod, and Taki turned, heading for the door again. "Come on. We're going downstairs."

Yes. The cafeteria, someplace he never went, but realized the necessity of. That was where they would all be, usually separated by what instrument they played because it was always easier for artists to identify with others of the same genre.

She let her arms drop, stuffing them deep into the pockets her baggy pants, slouching like a child who didn't want to be hanging out with her parents. She followed Taki quietly, sticking to what she had said. She would do what had to be done. For the band.

Keiko hoped Haido was doing better than she was. Surely, Kenji would have a better day, even it was spent all alone with Taki. Man, how had everything gone from a big celebration the night before, to this shit?

She made her way to the elevator. No way in hell she wanted to spend more time walking down flights of stairs in this silence, when it could take a second in an elevator. She just didn't know where Taki was taking her.

_Author's Notes: Aw, there's another side to Keiko! Cute, right? Well, not really I guess. Keiko's as close to the person I am as it gets personality wise. And we do have our breaking moments. Life's just been a little unfair to her recently, so of course a nasty comment from Taki would almost have her crying. Almost! Mean Taki. Bastard._

_I really liked how Tohma just kind of sat back and watched. I think he likes watching Taki. I think he really likes when Taki is all hot and bothered about something. Tohma the quiet watcher I am sometimes. It's neat! And poor Haido. He has no idea the horrors we're about to bring upon him. Or Tohma and Taki for that matter._

_And now, a rambling A/N by Kel!_

_**I loved writing that scene. Really, I don't think anyone has any idea just how much I enjoyed that. Taki's best when he's telling people what to do, he really is. And, I sort of get the impression that Tohma's intent watching just egged him on and pushed them a little harder.**_

But, holy crap, he's on a power trip. Sleeping with his boss, ordering his band around… Just wait, he'll come in with a crown and a scepter next.

…Nah, he was always better in a miniskirt.

I really like that Kenji wasn't the one to freak out in this chapter. I'm also rather fond of the image of him as a comforting friend. He doesn't get to be that for Keiko much, and I figure he sort of revels in the moments when he can. It makes him feel needed, and that's something Kenji doesn't get much of.

_ See? I'm not crazy! She's real! And, no, we won't be putting Taki in a miniskirt in either this story, the sequel... maybe the High School one just for shits and giggles, though. I'm trying to keep busy, and I don't know when Kel might be able to start writing again. Hopefully soon. I'm left with my thoughts a lot of the time, which isn't fun._

_Drop us a line!_

_SL  
_


	65. Chapter 65

_Disclaimer: Wheeeeee!_

_Author's Notes: This is where things become a little foreboding. Yay for good words! This is an interesting chapter because I like how Keiko acts in it. I don't know exactly what it is, but it's a very 'best friend' type of thing. I like it. The ending is the foreboding part, really. But I end all my chapters on whims like that._

_Anon, I'm not sure how you'll enjoy this chapter considering your thoughts on Keiko. I went with gut instinc and how I act when I get pushed around. Especially at work. You kind can't blow up if you wanna keep your job, y'know? Otherwise, not that much changes._

_Enjoy!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Sixty-Five_

By lunch, Kenji felt close to a collapsing point. He didn't like spending time with Taki, and he didn't like the idea that Taki was trying to turn him into something he wasn't. In fact, it was pissing him off, and he was quite the unhappy sight as he left the studio with a frown instead of the happy smile at the idea of a break that he normally had.

He didn't want to stay at work today. He wanted to go home and sleep. Choreography sounded like hell in accompaniment to the rest of the day.

If he found anyone in a good mood, he was going to kill them. He was so sick of being told how he should act, what he should do, how he should sing HIS songs. The next commanding word from anyone's mouth was going to earn one hell of a reaction.

Keiko had spent most of her time in the cafeteria, talking to other guitarist. They were trading stories, and welcomed her in like an old friend. She had nothing much to add as they talked about concert blunders and backstage drama, although a few funny garage stories from when Opium was starting and it was just her and Kenji came up and got the usual rolled eyes and sympathetic nods of those who had been there before.

Many came and went, and a few offered to take her to their practices, more then happy to give her tips and advice, and though she was tempted, she declined. She'd rather get in control of her own new surroundings and what was expected of her before breaking away from her own band in that way. She felt like she'd be getting away from the band if she submersed herself with guitarists only.

By lunch time, she was sick of being in one place, and excused herself to go find Kenji. Maybe they could have lunch together if he wasn't already with Haido, or all of them could go. Whichever.

She took the elevator up to the floor that held their studio and when the doors opened, Kenji was standing there waiting for the lift. Keiko, gave a heavy sigh, noticing his demeanor and motioned for him to get in.

"Lunch'll be on me, brat," Keiko said, both tempting him to come, and hopefully cheering him up at the same time.

The frown didn't ease away, and Kenji just nodded, stuffing his hands in his pockets and glaring at the floor as he walked. He hated Taki. Hated him. It bugged the fuck out of him that they couldn't get a different manager, because they'd have to get an entirely different producer, too. As much as he didn't like the idea of Taki and Tohma, they put out good music.

...Their attitudes just pissed him off! It was worse then him! So much worse. He didn't care about what Taki said would work, because obviously if it had worked so well, ASK wouldn't be a thing of the fucking past!

But, he'd had to bite his tongue and keep from exploding, because that would give Taki more ammunition then Kenji was ready to hand over. He didn't care what he had to do so long as he got to do what he loved, but two weeks of that shit, and he'd go insane.

"What are we getting?" It was a question that was full of something, though Kenji wasn't entirely sure what.

"Whatever you want," Keiko offered, trying harder still to lighten him up. She leaned over and hit the button for the lobby. She guessed Kenji really didn't do well with all of this today.

They ran down the floors in silence for a moment or two, and when the doors opened and the stepped out, she reached over sympathetically and put an arm around her shoulders, doing what he had done for her earlier.

"Do you feel like venting?" she asked. "It's obvious you had a pretty hard day so far... I'm here if you want to."

Managing a smile, Kenji shrugged thin shoulders. "I'm never going to like him." He decided with finality. "He talks like he knows what he's saying, but I don't think he can put it into practice."

No, it was just something that was too obvious. As much as Taki knew about performing, he couldn't go back to the stage and excel the way he had again even if he had the means. He didn't have the capabilities anymore, whether it was in his voice or the rest of him, Kenji didn't know.

Sighing, Kenji turned and gave Keiko an awkward hug, rubbing at his forehead as he pulled back. "Have you seen Haido?" Had Tohma let him go yet?

"It doesn't matter if he can put it into practice now," Keiko said, not to defend Taki, but to prove a point. "He put it into practice before. Sure, ASK didn't last long, but if you look back, their hype was pretty good."

Maybe the methods needed to be updated, and, true, stars weren't made memorable by doing what everyone else was. Still, Taki is what Kenji had to work with. It just sucked how it all had to be.

"Haido? No, I haven't seen him, but I wasn't looking for him," she said. Haido seemed like he could make the best out of anything. Kenji couldn't. Besides, Kenji was her friend. Haido was someone she had to be nice to because of Kenji. Not that she didn't like him, there was just no connection.

Haido was leaving Tohma's office, feeling both a little better, and a little more pressured. What Tohma had been telling him all day was true. The advice he'd given was good. But now he had to exemplify what Tohma was teaching. He felt if he didn't, then he'd be letting an obvious genius of music down.

He figured he'd call Kenji and see what was going on with him. Maybe go out on break if he was up to it. Being around Taki all day couldn't've been fun.

Kenji just gave her a look on her ASK defense. He wasn't an ASK fan. He hadn't liked their music when it was popular, and he didn't like it now. He'd accepted Taki as their manager because Taki had connections that they didn't, and now they had the connections Taki did.

The only problem was, they couldn't get rid of Taki.

"Oh..." Kenji tried not to look too let down, because he really, really wanted to see Haido right now. Still, he pulled up another smile for Keiko's sake, because he absolutely hated to make her worry, and shrugged. "Maybe we can find him and go out to lunch. We can all pay." Because he didn't want to make Keiko pay for all three of them, either.

Crap. He snapped his phone shut as it hung up on him without even ringing. No service. All the damn electrical equipment in the place must be interfering. Well, he'd either see Kenji or he wouldn't. Since it was lunch time, Taki wouldn't keep him hostage, and Kenji would be dying to get out.

If got down to the lobby quick enough, he might be able to catch him. The elevator felt like it took forever. But it was because he was getting his hopes up on catching Kenji before he was out of the building. If nothing else, once outside, he could at least call Kenji. Unless he was in the building. Therefore, no connection.

Keiko knew the smile was fake, and he was doing it for two reasons:

1.) He didn't want her to think that he wanted to see Haido more than her, or

2.) Something bigger was bothering him and he didn't want her to worry about it.

"Well, let's wait for a few minutes, okay?" she offered, with a half smile. "I give him five minutes, he's not somewhere here, I'll grab some stuff from a store and come back with it and you can stay and find him. Alright?"

Better than nothing.

The lift opened and Haido stepped out, searching around. It couldn't be that hard to find him. With hair that color, how could you miss him? And Haido didn't. But saw that he was with Keiko. He didn't want to interrupt...

Well, he still wanted to talk to Kenji. And he and Keiko were past their little issues. For now. He walked up to them, smiling a little as he tapped Kenji on the shoulder.

Kenji gave Keiko a thankful, relieved smile, a genuine one. Really, she was being so understanding of the entire situation, and it made him want to hug her until she shoved him away, which wouldn't be a very long hug at all.

Keiko was spared, though, because the tap on his shoulder made him jump, and Kenji turned around only to break into a relieved smile. Haido got landed with the hug instead, though it was definitely a different sort of hug then the hug that Keiko would have gotten.

In this case, it was tighter.

"We were just going to look for you." Kenji made himself pull back, one of his hands dropping to hold onto Haido's. "Do you want to go get lunch with us?"

Haido hugged Kenji back, glad to see him smiling like that. Maybe his morning hadn't gone so badly. Still, no jumping to conclusions.

He nodded at the offer of going out to lunch. Although he'd been out most of the morning, walking, and things. He was a little tired, and had turned down the of having lunch with Tohma. Being split up like this was so strange to him.

"Sure," he said, looking towards Keiko, who just shrugged. But it didn't make him feel unwanted. He realized now that some things were just her way.

"Well, now the big question is, what do we want to eat?" Keiko said, jokingly. They still hadn't come to any decision.

"Oh." Kenji smiled, clearly more happy now that Haido was with them. He frowned a little as he thought, and it was the small frown that gave way to how much he'd been frowning all day. The lines were far more obvious now then they had been in the morning. "I really want yakisoba chicken."

Noodles and chicken. Ooh, hell yes.

Kenji nodded, having firmly made up his mind. "I don't care where we go, as long as they have yakisoba chicken." Hell, it didn't matter to him if it was any good, but it was what he wanted. It was the chicken more then the noodles, because he could get noodles out of ramen.

Alright, alright. Yakisoba was _fried_ noodles, but it was still the same general concept.

"Well, I did pass a place that looked pretty good when I was out earlier," Haido said. "A few blocks down. I don't know if it's any good. I never tried it."

"Same here," Keiko said, never even noticing the place. "Let's go check it out. We probably don't have that much time left."

Being late probably wouldn't help any of them. Taki and Tohma seemed determined to go through with every plan they had implemented in the meeting.

Lunch had been mildly relaxing for all three of them, but it was back to work and too soon. They had to meet with the choreographer now. Up in the studio, the met, and took a car to the dance studio where they would learn and practice.

A woman in her late thirties with short dark hair, a pretty face and a fit body was there to meet them. Tohma had put away the paperwork to accompany them to the studio.

"Fuyumi," Tohma greeted warmly, giving the woman a brief hug.

"Ah, Tohma, I haven't seen you in a while," Fuyumi said, smiling. "I'm guessing I won't be helping out on any more Nittle Grasper concerts?"

The blond laughed. "No... at least not any time soon."

With the way his life worked, one could never know completely.

"Well, let's take a look at what we have to work with," she said, stepping to the side to take in the three band members standing fairly close together.

Her smile turned into a thin line of contemplation. They weren't prepared for this, dressing like they were. The girl in baggy clothes, the boys in fairly tight clothing. Baggy ones would throw off movement, and tight, unmoving pants would restrict movement.

She sighed. "You've already got my work cut out for me."

Tohma just smiled pleasantly. "I trust you can fix it though. You always do."

"Flattery gets you everywhere, Tohma." She turned her attention on the band again. "First, you have to change. And from now on, when you come here, I expect loose clothing. T-shirt and sweat pants. Shorts, sports bra, I don't care how you dress for it, but these clothes are out."

Keiko rolled her eyes. Great. Another dictator.

"We do keep extras here. Washed, I assure you." Fuyumi looked at Tohma. "Will you be staying?"

"No, no. I have other things to attend to.

"Then follow me," she said to the band, leading the way.

_Author's Notes: Oh, what could we possibly be planning? Why would we actually write out them going to a dance studio if not for another hidden bump in the road? YAY! You know you guys love it. Otherwise, why bother reading? And Tohma makes me happy on the inside, too. I always like making him 'proper'. Mostly because it's silly considering he used to be a rocker. You'd think he'd a little less formal all the time, right?_

_Maybe it's just me. Oh well, drop us a line!_

_SL_


	66. Chapter 66

_Disclaimer: WOOOOOO!_

_Author's Notes: Sorry, I've been busy with my job and Great Adventure. Spring Break is insane so far. Banged my knee up pretty bad in a fall, I'm sore all over... it's satisfying, that's for sure. I mean that, too. That's not sarcasm. So, updates will be going pretty slow for awhile. My bad. Kel still hasn't gotten back to work on the sequel with me. It's the weekend though, so I'm really going to try hard to get her to. If I can't, I can't. She hasn't worked on anything in awhile. I'm really sad about it._

_This chapter is another bit of filler, I guess. But it's fun at the end. Promise!_

_Enjoy!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Sixty-Six_

It was probably the worst day he'd had in months. Kenji was all but dragging himself out of the NG building, unhappy with the way the day turned out. The air was cool against his hot face, though, made red from biting back comments that would get him in deep trouble if he'd said them.

The work out hadn't been bad. He was in good shape. He took a run every morning and had a year long membership to the gym near his apartment to _stay_ in shape.

He could eat like a pig, but he always paid for it later.

Keiko had already left, and Kenji couldn't blame her. They all needed the time to themselves right now, and this was his five minutes before he turned to find Haido and insist that Haido come home with him.

Today was not a good day to let him go home on his own. Especially not when they had to do this tomorrow.

It was all such fucking bullshit.

Haido was sympathetic. It wasn't as though the day was easy going for him (though he put that on himself), and he took to the dancing fairly well. If it was structured, had something to follow, he was pretty confident about it.

The drive to Kenji's place was a little farther than Haido's, but they didn't even have to stop at his place. Haido kept some spare clothes at Kenji's now (vise versa, although it was usually what was forgotten the morning after).

Parking on the street outside of the complex, Haido shut down the car. He looked over at Kenji who had been fairly quiet about everything.

"So, what happened with Taki?" he asked, almost cautiously. He didn't know what would set Kenji off.

Kenji made a disgusted noise, unbuckling his seatbelt with disinterest. "He spouted off a load of shit he probably thinks will work, and made himself sound like an ass." He wasn't looking forward to tomorrow, because Taki had promised an outing.

An outing. Where the fuck were they going to go? Kenji couldn't help but find himself horribly unimpressed.

He didn't want to go anywhere with their ass of a manager. He didn't ever want to be locked in a room with that man again, because even though the door had been unlocked, Taki wouldn't have let him leave if he'd tried.

That was just as good as being locked in.

"It might get better," Haido offered, unbuckling himself and getting out of the car.

Although, it was Taki, so there was a good chance that it wouldn't get better. Kenji just didn't get along with him. Maybe he could cheer him up tonight though. There had to be something Haido could do to get him back in a good mood.

"You want me to make us something for dinner?" he asked, walking around the car to Kenji's side, smiling at him.

Getting out of the car, Kenji didn't stretch and give that soft sound of relaxation that he normally did. He just slammed the door shut behind him, shrugging one thin shoulder and digging in his pocket for his keys. "If you want to."

Yes, it was quite the bad mood. A mood that didn't seem to be disappearing, and the longer it stayed, the worse Kenji felt.

There was a reason he was so happy all the time. Because he hated feeling like this, and it was that hate that made moods like this so much worse for him. They were awful, and he couldn't help but hate himself for being such a jerk to everyone he cared about, namely Keiko and Haido.

It wasn't like they'd done anything to deserve it.

Haido bit back a sigh, tucking his car keys away into his pockets. This was going to be a trying night. He loved Kenji, but he wasn't sure if he could put up with this all night long.

He decided to keep his mouth shut for now. Together, they walked in silence into the complex and up to Kenji's apartment. Eventually, the silence starting pissing Haido off. He began to think Kenji needed a good kick in the ass.

When he shut the door, he was officially steamed.

"Kenji, what did Taki say you needed to work on?" Haido asked, an exasperated tone in his voice.

There was a large part of Kenji that was still a child, still refusing to believe that he was taking his place in the world, that he was an adult. It didn't want to believe it, and it was that part of him, that huge, overwhelming part that turned and tossed the keys hard toward the back of the couch.

"Stage presence!" Haido was steamed, but Kenji had been struggling with his anger all day, biting back the words that could get their concert put back months. He'd been an adult all day, and goddammit, he was sick of it! "Control! Voice! Message!"

Everything. Taki was trying to make him break everything down into a section, a little something he had to work on, and that wasn't the way Kenji worked. He _couldn't_ do it like that. He couldn't!

Haido leaned back against the door, arms crossed over his chest and he watched Kenji vent. If he didn't get it out eventually, it would be worse the next day, having it built up. He watched and listened, nodding his head, and waited until he was finished.

He'd never seen Kenji angry like this. Hurt, sad, upset, disappointed, but not angry. Grumpy, but not angry. Only once, when they had found out what Taki had done when ASK was together, but even then, it wasn't this bad.

Haido was debating on whether he was supposed to be turned on by this or not. Probably not. But it didn't change the fact that he was.

"And... what do you think would help 'fix' what he sees is wrong?" he asked, pushing himself away from the door, picking up the keys from the floor, and placing them on the kitchen table as he walked into the kitchen.

"He thinks everything is wrong!" For the first time all day, Kenji was putting his frustration into words, into sounds that were undeniably angry, harsh in tone. He had no doubt that Taki would probably yell at him tomorrow for ruining his throat the way he undoubtedly was. "He thinks that I should fix it by doing everything that he did, and that obviously didn't fucking work!"

If he'd had something else to throw, he would have thrown it, and he was unwarrantedly angry at Haido for picking up his keys. He'd put them there for a reason, goddammit, and that reason was useless now that they'd been moved.

Eyes narrowed and mood on a rapid descent downhill, Kenji followed Haido into the kitchen.

"Well, you could suck it up and just do what he says," Haido suggested, knowing it was bad to egg Kenji on like that. Out of all the things he could've said, that was probably the worst.

He closed the fridge with his hip, holding out a soda to Kenji. Placing the other one for himself on the table. He knew this was going all wrong, but he couldn't resist. The only thing he'd ever seen Kenji so passionate about was music, but this was a different kind of passionate.

Really, he felt like telling Kenji to shut up, and drag him to the bedroom. Or the nearest possible flat surface. Whichever came first.

It made him impossibly angry. Suck it up? Do what he says? Kenji's eyes widened, then narrowed sharply again with the sudden, hot surge of anger. How could Haido suggest something so... so...

Careless? How? Kenji didn't understand it, and he was stepping forward without thinking, taking the soda from Haido's hand and letting it drop heavily onto the counter. It rolled and thunked into the sink, but Kenji was far past caring.

"Do what he says?" Kenji's voice was shaking with the effort it was taking him to keep from shouting, and for once, he was using his height advantage to loom over Haido, every part of him shaking with anger. "Doing what he says would take Opium and... and turn it into something else! Something horrible!"

He was pressing forward, pushing Haido back into the corner the counters made in the room, only stopping when Haido couldn't back up any farther. "Do you really realize what would _happen_ if I just did what he said?"

It didn't seem to occur to Kenji that he was being melodramatic.

When the counter hit his back, he stopped moving, looking up at Kenji, not sure what to feel. His heart was racing, he could barely hear Kenji's voice over the sound of it. He didn't feel scared, well, kinda... in a nervous way. But he didn't want to act like a total bastard and keep a straight face.

Haido pushed his hands flat against the counter top, as if it would stop himself from moving back anymore (although he couldn't anyway). He didn't know what could happen to Opium if Kenji just followed orders.

"What would happen?" he asked, unaware that his voice had an almost breathy edge to it.

It was that edge that made Kenji shiver, a deep feeling of heat settling in him. He liked this. He liked making Haido react, though he didn't like the fact that it was with fear. He didn't want Haido to be scared of him, ever.

"We'd be something we aren't supposed to be." Kenji's voice was just low, now, rapidly losing the anger, though intense in a very, very different way. "We'd be ASK, Haido, and I _won/t_ let us be another ASK."

He was leaning down, his lips brushing against Haido's cheek as he spoke. It was firm, determined, but the words were coming sluggishly to him, lips prepared for something besides speaking. Something more involved, more desperate and clinging.

Haido turned his head, pressing his cheek toward Kenji's lips, eyes slipping shut halfway. He liked where this was headed. His nervousness was fading a little. Not that the thrill wasn't still there.

Something was different about him tonight, and Haido was enjoying it. He slipped his hands up the front of Kenji's shirt, fingertips grazing the tightly clothed skin. His lips were near Kenji's ear, and he said, "You won't let it happen. You have to keep control."

Control of the band. No matter how high up Taki was, it was still Kenji's band. He was the leader.

Control, control, control. He was so sick of that word. Control. It was so useless, so stupid, such a dumb thing to focus over. Control. Who cared about it, anyway?

But hearing it come from Haido, instead of Taki made Kenji shudder in a way that was just so... good. Maybe it was the way Haido spoke it into his ear, or the way he could feel Haido's breath against his cheek, but it didn't matter, his hands slipping down Haido's sides to push them together, hold them in place against the counter.

"Then give me control, Haido." He pressed his lips against Haido's jaw, working his way to the mouth he really couldn't wait to reach. "Show me what it takes to keep control."

Haido loved the way this made him feel. Trapped, pressed in, and he never thought Kenji could be like this. It was like a whole different person. He didn't think it was possible.

"Take it," he said under his breath, his arms sliding up and around Kenji's neck. "It's yours. I'm yours."

It was fun to switch every once in a while. He wasn't always up to it, but maybe they both needed it tonight. Or, maybe Kenji did and it was Haido's excuse. Whichever.

When he was able to, Haido kissed the other man, eyes falling completely shut, pushing himself closer to Kenji.

It made his entire body feel hot, and Kenji pressed his lips against Haido's, shifting and pressing until Haido's mouth opened and he could deepen the kiss. Thought felt thick, slow and sluggish and not worth it. Kenji didn't have to think to do this, didn't have to do anything but control, take the control that everyone kept telling him he had to have.

Fine. He'd have it. He'd use it. He'd change their stage performance if he had to, but he was not going to let everything crash around his ears when things had just begun to look better. Not when things could be so much better then they already were.

His hands held Haido tight against him, fingers pressing but not hard enough to bruise. It would never be that hard, and the only marks Kenji was going to leave would be intentional. He was still too careful, still too new to this to be ruthless, and he never really would be.

He didn't have that kind of person in him. But, he certainly had the ability to exert more force, and it was that force that was making him press Haido back into the counter again, one of his hands pushing at the shirt to touch the skin he knew was under it.

Haido leaned into Kenji's touch and body. He wanted to get closer. He let his hands unhook from behind Kenji's neck and pressed his palms flat against his chest. As usual, Kenji was wearing a tight shirt with a button up over that, only open.

He started to push off the over shirt off Kenji's shoulders, to get at more bare skin. Haido felt the hot skin and was tempted not to move at all from this moment. But the counter was digging into his back and there would be no comfortable way to finish this here.

Haido pulled back, face hot and flushed. He swallowed hard and looked up at Kenji.

"Bedroom?" Haido asked, not wanting to stop, but for the sake of comfort, he had to.

"Bedroom..." Kenji agreed, breathing labored as he stepped back, his hand falling from Haido's body as it reached for a hand to pull him out of the kitchen. Yes, out of the kitchen and down the hall into their dark bedroom.

He didn't turn on the lights, but pulled Haido in front of him, only to press their bodies together again, more of his weight against Haido to push him down onto the bed.

Kenji pinned Haido by his hips, hands letting down to pull the shirt off, careless of buttons or anything that would get in the way. There couldn't have been much, because the shirt came off without struggle, and even without seeing, Kenji knew where everything on Haido's body was.

He had no hesitation in touching, either, his hands stopping when they touched a nipple. It was only for a second before he was leaning down, catching Haido's lips with his again as his fingers pinched.

A small smile curled on his lips as Kenji pulled him into the darkened room. Haido didn't know why, but he liked this side of Kenji. It was a little more rough, but somehow softer than usual as well. In a way it made sense, he was going to take care of Haido, instead of the usual way around.

He eased back onto the bed, taking Kenji with him, lifting his arms to help remove the shirt, head shaking through the top. He was going to do the same for Kenji, but he was pressed into the bed, hands wandering over his bare skin, making him shiver.

Haido sighed quietly, eyes closing at the touch. He smiled again just a little when he felt Kenji's lips press against his. But a low noise erupted in his throat when Kenji's fingers pinched the sensitive area, his back pressing upwards as Haido's hands gripped Kenji's shoulders tightly.

Oh, he definitely liked that.

Kenji pulled back from the kiss, pulling in a shaky breath because just listening to that reaction, feeling it had sent a sharp shock through him, making him shiver. He couldn't help it. He was so used to reacting that it was strange for him to urge reactions.

He liked it, though.

Pinching again, a little less gently this time, Kenji slipped down the bed, only stopping when his mouth was even with the nipple he had yet to touch. The reprieve was gone in seconds, because he had the skin in his mouth, pressing his teeth carefully against it to gauge the reaction as his thumb rubbed against the skin he had pinched between his fingers.

Haido was breathing heavily, a flush trailing from high in his cheeks down and across his chest. His skin was hot, and Kenji was determined. He felt the singer in the dark, hands playing through the red hair as he tried squinting through the dark to watch Kenji.

He could only see the darker shadow that was Kenji on top of him. Haido felt him move and shift, slipping down, and he didn't know what was to be expected. A high gasp slipped past his lips and his body jerked slightly in response.

His body tingled with each new touch, and he had always been the bigger fan of teeth. The feeling shot straight between his legs, making Haido feel a little uncomfortable.

He'd never felt anything like this before, and Kenji wasn't sure what to do with his tingling fingers. It was a light, exciting sort of feeling. It told him that he could do whatever he wanted to Haido right now.

Was this control?

His mouth was dry, and Kenji lost track of his thoughts as he pressed half formed kisses down Haido's stomach, hands dropping down to his pants to jerk them open and shove them down, movements a little too rough and eager to be entirely cultured.

Right now, it didn't matter that tomorrow, he was facing another morning with Taki and another afternoon of choreography. Right now, all he wanted to do was be with Haido, take what Haido was giving him. This new something that he wasn't sure what to do with but was fast getting the hang of.

_Author's Notes: See? I'm kind of sad we didn't get into more detail, but it seemed fine. But it's a nice look into something else. We made it a bit more than it was since it was a fiction, but look! Tops can bottom, and even want to bottom, too! Neat, huh? I think so. Usually everything is so cut and dry, or a grudging reluctance to bottom. Sometimes it's a wanted thing. I don't think I've seen enough of that in fics. So I did it! YAY!_

_Drop us a line!_

_SL_


	67. Chapter 67

_Disclaimer: Blah blah blah crap blah._

_Author's Notes: Ooookay. So, an up note, Kel gave me a reply or two on the high school one with Tohma and Taki. Hopefully we'll see a bit more progress on things. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed. You should too! _

_In other news, my job might be sending me over to Six Flags in New England, Mass! They need some help for their opening week, so a bunch of us are getting shipped over there for a bit from Jersey. We'll be doing Characters, still, but it'll be interesting to work in another park, seeing how differently it works in the department. This'll be my third Six Flags. I'm so excited!_

_So, if anyone's going to be there around the 15th during that week, look for the chick who's about 5'1", brown hair pulled in a ponytail with glasses. It's me! The real name is Danielle, so the nametag should be a huge tip off! So, if you're there, come say hi to me and my group from Jersey, and if you feel like partying with us when we're off work (this trip is a complete excuse to get drunk) we'll see what happens!_

_Also, my birthday is on the 19th! I'll be 19! I don't know what I'm doing for it yet, but when I've got plans, I'll let you know about updates and whatnot. _

_Enjoy!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Sixty-Seven_

"Taki," Tohma drawled, lazily. They were both being driven to Tohma's mansion for the night. The blond was sitting up and Taki was laid out on the seat, his head resting in Tohma's lap.

The blond didn't want to incorporate work after hours, but after the day they went through, Tohma figured that maybe a little talking about it wouldn't hurt.

"How did things go with Kenji today?" he asked, smiling down at Taki as he tangled his thin fingers through the ex singer's dark hair.

Taki made a soft hum of questioning, tilting his head back enough to see Tohma's face. It was easier, because Tohma was looking down at him, and the smile on his face wasn't soft or sweet. He didn't have those things in him.

"It went fine. I think he's getting the point." Kenji left angry, and that was expected. Taki didn't want him to go home and think things over and decide that he had to do it.

He wanted Kenji to do it whether he realized he was or not. He didn't want anyone to encourage him or try to help him, he wanted it to happen. Things like this were best done when the person was unaware of them.

He hoped Taki was right. They didn't have that much time for Kenji to throw another hissy fit. They needed them to all understand their positions and perform them willingly. Once they understood that, they could focus on the choreography for the show and they could plan the dancers in the background.

So many things to get done, and so many of them couldn't be done until the band cooperated.

"I hope he does understand," Tohma sighed as the driver made a turn. "Haido's nervous, but he's going to do his best, I know that much."

At least he knew the kid really enjoyed playing. He wasn't going to be doing much else during the concert. Kenji would be doing most of the performing, Keiko would have a little bit, mostly they could play off each other. Haido would get even less attention than that.

"I think they can do it. If Kenji shapes up, they can do it."

"You sound worried about it," Taki peered up at Tohma through the tips of his hair, eyes a little narrowed. Was he a bit defensive? Yeah, sure he was. Tohma wouldn't have this band to worry about if not for him. "They'll be fine."

ASK had been like this in the beginning. Ma had been so over confident, so showy, and Taki and found early on that it was easiest to step back and let Ma take over. But, Tohma hadn't let him get away with it.

Granted, Tohma's methods were easier to deal with then what he was doing to Kenji. And, he and Ma had an almost purely sexual relationship for most of their lives, something that Keiko and Kenji didn't have. So, they lost that angle.

But, Taki was confident, a result of what had been done to ASK in those early days to get them into shape. This would work. Opium would be able to perform and they'd do it damn well.

The consequences if they didn't weren't to be spoken of.

Tohma just smiled and lifted his head, looking out a window. The gates to the mansion had just opened up and now it was the fairly short drive to the front of the house. He didn't think it was worry. He was telling himself it wasn't worry.

There was just much to plan and he wanted to get it done.

"We have to plan the dance performance of the show," Tohma said. "I wouldn't want to force Kenji on Keiko or Haido in front of a crowd. Enough back up dancers... and if you think about all the songs, they seem to... tell a story. I think we can have an amazing show along with the music if Kenji can keep up."

Now he was already back at the office making calls and plans for this. Distractions.

"Hey," Taki sat up, frowning now. "No more work. I'm off the clock and I don't want to talk about it." Because this was ALL about him. Yeah, right. "We can plan dances and talk about stories later. Quit being productive."

He'd distract Tohma from this all night if he had to. But, he was done talking about Opium, but there was a little part of him that wondered if he and Tohma stopped talking about work, would they have anything left to talk about? So far, all they were was fights, sex, and productivity.

That wasn't a lot to base a conversation on.

He wanted to say something like, 'Hey, kiss me and let's pretend we didn't have this conversation,' but kisses implied a relationship that he and Tohma didn't have. The only relationship he was sure they had was a work one.

But, but! You didn't bring a work associate home to your mansion in a limo. Especially not after you'd already had sex with them. A few times.

The blond looked over at Taki as he sat up, putting on another smile for the man. No more work. He made an X over his heart with a finger. Cross his heart; no more work.

The limo pulled up to the doorsteps, and the driver got out and came around opening up the door. Tohma got out, slipping his gloves back on. He'd taken them off while running his hands through Taki's hair.

When Taki was at his side, Tohma started up the stairs, pausing for a moment for turning his head just slightly, almost looking back at the other man.

"Mika's out of town for the week," he informed Taki. The ex singer could take that statement however he wanted.

Taki had wondered about that. Bringing home your lover to meet your wife was a little risky, even for Tohma. But, even Seguchi Tohma's housewife had to take a vacation sometimes, right?

He was sort of happy she did.

All he did was nod, though, because he wasn't sure what that meant for the evening. Or the week. "Do you want me to stay tonight?" Because, hey, man, this WAS Tohma's house.

Mansion. Thing. It was way too big to be just a house.

"I'd like that," he replied simply as he opening one of the large doors, nodding at the man who silently accepted to take his hat.

The house was large, decorated ornately like one would imagine, but Tohma had no interest in those things. Mika had done it all. Not out of greed, but because she understood how his parents had been. Money was all that mattered, and how you showed it off showed what kind of person you were.

He heard the door shut and turned to face Taki. "Are you hungry, or would you rather rest for a bit?"

Tohma was trying to keep Taki's legs in mind, not knowing what he had done with Kenji all day.

"I'm okay," And Taki was surprised by how true that really was. He was okay. Things were evening out, and now that he could walk normally again (no thanks to Tohma), and things were finally on track with Opium (so much for that no more work thing), he had the chance to relax.

He wasn't used to it, though. It felt strange, to be able to go home and not worry about going into work the next day and had to concentrate on avoiding Tohma, or getting this shoot scheduled... Their new set up seemed strangely habitual.

But, he'd done this before. It was nothing new to him.

It was easier to be around Tohma now, too. Taki still wasn't overly affectionate, and he didn't expect Tohma to be. They weren't fighting nearly as much, and Taki could almost go so far as to call them close. Certainly friends by now.

Just stepping into this house reminded him that Tohma was married, though. This was Tohma's home, where he lived with his wife. Taki didn't really have any place here.

"You should show me around a little." Most of his day, both morning and afternoon, had been spent seated. He'd done a bit of walking around, passing out papers where they were needed, because he hadn't felt like calling out a messenger. As far as activities went, his day had been relaxed.

Tohma chuckled at Taki's idea. Show him around? Oh, he was only programmed to talk about all the different pieces in each room. The way a guide in a museum would talk about all the different collections of art in a gallery.

There was only his music room slash small recording area (incase he ever came up with music) his private office, and a guest bedroom that he used frequently after working long nights or staying out late.

"Well, at least by the time we finish with the entire house, we should be hungry," Tohma said with a smile. "Might as well start downstairs first then."

_Author's Notes: So, anyways. This was a cute chapter, I think. We get to see a little bit of cute interaction between Tohma and Taki. A lull, if you will. The next chapter will be good! YAY! I promise! Not that this one wasn't, but it's got a bit more action to it. Y'know?_

_I love this story!_

_Drop us a line!_

_SL_


	68. Chapter 68

_Disclaimer: Blah blah blah._

_Author's Notes: Okay, yes I'm taking longer to update. Yes, the story is really finished. I swear. I've just been overloaded from work. As far as the New England trip for work goes, it's all set. We're leaving early monday, probably working the same day. Housing is all set up and we are not allowed to take our own cars, which means we're trapped. We're all going to go insane._

_None of us are sure if we'll have internet access for the week we're there, so it may be longer than usual for me to update. I'm still kind of excited, but not all that much as I was. We're going to be there for my birthday, and there may be no way to celebrate now! Kind of sad._

_Anyways, this chapter is just something Kel and I loved writing. Whenever we got our hands on these two, a club would always come into play with them. So, Tohma does have a bit of that party rocker in him. I think Taki just likes being all sexy and drunk dancing with him. Kel laughs at this, and says the club is just a more natural setting for them. I have to agree. _

_Enjoy!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Sixty-Eight_

Taki dropped himself carelessly into an overstuffed chair when they finally finished the tour, several hours later. Groaning, he tossed an arm dramatically over his eyes, because that had probably been the singly most torturous thing he'd ever volunteered himself for.

"Okay, be honest." Lifting his arm just enough, he peered out from under it at Tohma, who was sitting down in another chair across from him. "How many of those rooms had you never been in before?"

Because it looked like a lot. It looked like no one but the poor cleaning woman went in them, and then only once a month to dust.

His head hurt. Tohma should just give up and sign this place off as a gaudy museum of bad Japanese relics.

"Oh, I've been in all of them at least once. You're not the first person to ask for a tour," the blond replied, accepting a drink of rum off a tray from one of the servants, and asked him to bring out a scotch. "Do I remember all of them? No."

Tohma was always honest. He knew the kitchen, his bedroom with Mika, the bathrooms, his study, his music room, and all the guest bedrooms.

Out of that. There were two or three more sitting rooms, whatever rooms Mika used, ect. It was just tiresome sometimes. When the scotch was brought out, he took it from the tray and handed it to Taki, taking a seat on another overstuffed chair.

"Well, now that we've done with that annoyance, I want to get out of here," Tohma sighed, sipping his drink. He looked at his watch. "It's a bit late though."

"So? We can go out if you want to." Because they were adults, and they were definitely allowed to wander in late to work for once. Tohma was the boss, he could make his own schedule. If Tohma wanted to go out, then they should.

It would be a lot more fun to go out, dance some, and get drunk in public then it would to get drunk here and collapse into bed for some safe sex. Some things were just more exciting when you put that public edge on them.

Especially since Tohma was married. But, shhh. Taki wouldn't tell if no one else would.

As far as he was concerned, for the week that Tohma's wife was out of town, she didn't exist. This week, it was just him and Tohma.

And work, but that could be overlooked.

"Well, I know that, it's just... what would still be open at this time?" Tohma asked. And even then, you had to give the blonde some time to dress for the place. He certainly wasn't going to be seen out in his work suit. Interesting thought the purple crushed velvet suit may be.

Tohma thought for a moment. "I supposed we could go to another club. I'm not sure what's worth my time anymore."

If the other man knew a club that he would enjoy, he'd go out. Unfortunately, crappy techno remixes of new overplayed songs weren't entertaining.

"There's a place near my old apartment that used to play some pretty decent stuff," Taki shrugged, still looking out at Tohma from under his arm. His sprawled position was surprisingly comfortable. "We could go check that out."

If they didn't like it, they could go find something else. If they did, they could get totally piss-drunk and have a few killer dances. Taki wasn't wound up about going out to a club in his work clothes, but he could deal with it.

What he wore to work was a lot more casual then what most people did. He had a jacket, which he'd taken off an hour before, but it was light and a little too form fitting to be a real suit. His shirts were always untucked, and his pants hung in a way that was supposed to make people look at him.

He'd always dressed like that, unless he was onstage. And then the clothes just got tighter.

"Sounds good," Tohma said with a smile. "I'll have to change first, though. If you don't mind."

Not like Taki had a choice. They were using Tohma's car. He excused himself to head upstairs, hesitating just slightly, wondering if he should outright ask Taki to join him.

After all, he did have to take a quick shower. Instead, he kept going up the stairs, wondering what Taki was thinking about.

Sometimes, when Taki went home alone at night, he wondered about what he was doing with Tohma. He had to be crazy, to sleep with the man who had shoved him in front of a car! He had to be nuts. Criminally insane.

If he went to an institution, they'd take him on default.

And, other nights, he went home alone and wished he weren't alone. He wanted Tohma to be there to keep him warm under sheets that were always too cold, and found himself wishing for the next day at work.

It was so on and off, Taki really wished it would stop. He and Tohma didn't have a set relationship. They were friends now, yes. He didn't hate Tohma, and Tohma didn't hate him. But, they weren't lovers, they weren't dating, and they certainly weren't 'together.'

They just were, and that sort of irked Taki.

It made him wonder... if he were to find another man interesting, and tried to pursue something with him, how would Tohma react? Would he take the hypocritical stance and try to make him cut off whatever contact he had, even though he had a wife? Or, would he not care at all?

Taki was just low enough to actually test it. But, not tonight.

Tohma came back downstairs dressed smartly in black slacks and a red button down shirt, the first one or two top buttons undone. He was without gloves and wasn't going to be taking his hat. But he felt much better for going out tonight.

"Good enough for a club, right?" Tohma asked with a short laugh, doing a little twirl in front of Taki as a joke. Taking a small bow, he slipped his hands into his pockets.

"Well, now that I'm finished, any primping you need to take care of before we go?"

He liked those pants on Tohma. No, seriously, he really liked them. They looked softer than normal slacks, and Taki knew that they would be when he got the chance to touch him. Just like Tohma's shirt would be abnormally smooth. Tohma always wore the best, and he didn't let anything but the best cloth touch him.

Hauling himself out of his chair with a put on groan, Taki should his head. "No, I'm fine." The club they were going to knew him, and though it had been awhile, Taki wasn't concerned with looking his best for the people there.

Tohma liked the way he looked, and that was enough.

So, see? It was when he thought things like that that made him really believe he was crazy.

Rubbing his hands through his hair and over his face, he let them fall and left his hair in a state of disarray. "Let's go."

Tohma nodded, getting someone to ready the car they would take to the club. The blonde was a bit excited. He assumed that if they were going to a club, the results would be like the first time they had gone. Taki would be drunk, Tohma would be buzzed and he would have to lead the ex singer out of the club so as not to disgrace themselves in public.

"Onward," Tohma said, laughing as they made their way out over to and out the door. The limo was waiting and the driver slipped out of the car to hold open the back door for them.

Slipping in, Tohma let out a sigh as he stretched out on the long, large seat.

Taki had to pause to tell the driver where they were going, but he slipped into the limo after Tohma did and the door closed behind them. His lean against Tohma was almost teasing, playful. Almost, though, because if there was anything Taki was, it was cold and harsh.

But, he was happy right now. It wouldn't kill him to express those things, right?

Right.

"Hey, you should kiss me before we're too drunk to aim right." Yeah, he was serious, too. He had every intention of getting that drunk. He'd have a bitching hangover tomorrow, but it would be worth it tonight.

Tohma pretended to think about it. As if there were any real choice in it. But Taki was rarely so adorable towards him. He put this man through hell to get him to ask things like this of him. Would he really turn it down now?

"Hm, well, when you have an argument like that," the blonde said with a soft smile, turning towards Taki and cupping his face with a hand before leaning in and pressing their lips together.

He loved the feel of the other man in any form, and to have this so willingly made it all the better. Tohma pulled back for a brief second, running his tongue over Taki's lips, gently biting at the bottom lip with his teeth. When Taki's mouth opened just slightly, he kissed the dark haired man again, slipping his tongue into the other man's mouth, almost hungrily exploring.

Yes, this would be a good night if they even made it to the club.

His argument was the best argument for winning over a kiss. Especially because it was totally legitimate. Taki was going to get trashed, and he was going to make Tohma just as drunk as he was intending to get. So, he seriously did want a real kiss before they tried and missed.

And this was definitely a worthy kiss to make up for nights of no kisses.

Tohma had control of the kiss, and that was okay with Taki. He wound his hands into Tohma's hair, holding at the back of his head. As far as he was concerned, this kiss could last the entire way to the club, and his hold on Tohma proved that he wasn't going to move until he was damn well ready.

He did make a soft sound because his lip burned right now, but it was all in the good way as he met Tohma's tongue with his own.

Tohma felt the dull pain as his hair was tangled up, pinpoints of sharp heat crawling over the nape of neck. He leaned forward a little bit, pushing Taki back into the seat as his hands wandered down the front of the other man's body.

Men were perfect, the blond decided, if not years ago, then at this very moment. The smooth, flat contours of their bodies, how hard they felt pressed up against you and that need they expressed so fully and passionately.

Pulling away, Tohma took a small breath before speaking, "If this is how you are sober, I don't know if I want to let you get drunk."

"You do," Taki objected breathlessly, slowly unwinding his fingers from Tohma's hair. His fingers smoothed it back down so that it wasn't sticking up, almost out of habit. "I'm a horrible dancer sober... You want me drunk."

It was a lie, actually. He wasn't a bad dancer at all, but he loved dancing when he was drunk. Everything felt so much more fluid, then, without inhibition. People thought too much when they were sober, and that held them back.

Taki never really held himself back, but, it was easier not to when he was drunk and didn't at least try to think the things that morally should have made him stop.

They rarely did. His morals were in bad shape.

He loved being able to look up from his bent back position into Tohma's face. There was entirely too much attachment going on here, but he couldn't try to make himself stop it. This, he knew, he could get used to. It was this that he wanted to keep doing.

"Right now, I just want you," the blond said playfully. "But, I'll settle for having a drunk, sexy dancer." Sighing, Tohma rolled his eyes as if it were a pain to do so.

Besides, Taki was sexy when he was dancing if he remembered correctly, and he did like to dance after drinking quite a lot.

He placed a small peck on the other man's lips before easing himself into Taki's lap, having him in what looked to be an almost uncomfortable position, and he'd move if Taki complained, but he was comfortable straddling the ex singer's thin hips.

"Really though, I couldn't've kept you on as a performer for so long if you couldn't dance."

"I'm not a bad dancer," Taki finally admitted, not in pride or boasting, but just stating fact. He was confident. He knew he wasn't a bad dancer. "But, I'm a better dancer when I'm drunk. You'll see."

It was things like this that always made Taki wonder. He wasn't comfortable, no. His neck was bent at a weird angle, and it sort of hurt, and there was a seatbelt pressing into his side, but he didn't want to make Tohma move. In fact, his hands were dropping down Tohma's sides to rest on his thighs, there to keep him in place.

It was curious. He'd never been willing to suffer through discomfort just so someone wouldn't have to move. Not even Ma.

A straightjacket never would have been more appropriate.

The ride was smooth and continued to be so until they finally reached the club. A little more kissing had gone on (Tohma had been determined to get his night's worth is Taki was going to be a sloppy drunk), but he straightened himself just as the driver was opening up their door.

"I hope we have a good time tonight," Tohma said, climbing out of the limo and stepping onto the pavement and quickly getting up on the sidewalk in front of the neon lit place.

They could've been back at Tohma's mansion doing slightly more interesting things than dancing, but he had wanted to go out and he wasn't going to be a grump because Taki had taken his idea.

Taki stretched as he got out of the car, bending his neck both ways because it was sore. It was worth it for the kisses, though, and he was sure his lips were just a little swollen right now.

That was wonderful. He liked kissing Tohma.

And, he still held the frame of mind that kisses made this intimate and emotional. The fact that he and Tohma could kiss without sex said something about the leaps they'd made in the way they treated each other.

He did worry about it. He was just waiting for the day when Tohma decided he'd been wrong and wanted to take it all back.

So, he had to get his kisses while he could.

"We will," Taki promised, feeling better now that he was standing. "We can always leave if the music sucks too bad."

Once inside, Tohma chalked it up to another club. It was standard. Two floors, a few tables, a few bars and a lot of skin. Females spending their nights out dressed classy, and others going all out and letting loose.

He wasn't going to sound like an old fart about it, but when you see things hanging out that you just don't want too... well, maybe it was time to check the mirror before going out. Just Tohma's own personal advice.

"I think I might be just a bit too old for this crowd," he mused pleasantly, leaning over to say it in Taki's ear.

"I guess that means you're stuck with me all night," Taki leaned back into Tohma as they talked, tilting his head back just enough to look up at him. "I mean, you can't pick up anyone else, can you? They're all too young."

What a fucking shame. For them, maybe. Taki had nothing but benefits going right now.

His lips were still sort of numb from their kisses in the car.

"Come on," Taki reached back and took Tohma's hand, something they never did in public. "Let's go get something to drink."

Tohma paused, thinking over the words Taki had just said. The blond couldn't help himself. As soon as he felt the other hand close in on his, he started laughing, shaking his head slightly as they pushed through the sweat slicked masses.

Taki certainly had a way with words. Where as most people would've laughed or tried to make a comment on him not being anywhere near old, the other man had turned it to his advantage.

But the whole night with Taki? No problem.

The bartender was standard, looked like he knew Taki, though. Slight acquaintance, since the ex singer had mentioned he frequented this place.

Tohma waited for a glance of attention before ordering his drink of choice, rum. He went by his favorite brand, and was shot down apologetically. Instead, he went with shots of vodka. Not his favorite, but he could stomach it.

Taki just ordered something called, 'his usual.' He'd been going to this bar since before he'd been legally allowed to drink, snuck in with a fake ID that Ma had printed off somewhere. It had long since stopped mattering what 'his usual' was, because all that mattered was that it packed enough punch that a few shots in, he was liable to sway.

Tohma didn't know that, though, and that was what made the night fun.

An almost afterthought, Taki glanced up at Tohma as their shots were pushed toward them. He ignored the bartenders knowing look. "Hey, don't worry about getting caught or anything here, okay? They have a really good privacy policy." Basically, get everyone so drunk they couldn't remember anything anyway. "Ma and I used to come here all the time."

And they'd been so close to just stripping down to fuck on the dance floor more then once. But, that was what made the red lit rooms upstairs so much fun. Even more fun because you could feel the bass as the bed banged into the wall.

His hands were quick and sure as he downed three of the five shots in quick succession.

Tohma was slipped five shots as well, and he took his time with each. Flick of the wrist, head tilted back, wish you had something to wash that taste out with, and breathe. He did this four more times.

Taki was done before he hit his third. The blond couldn't complain or say a word, because so far, he'd seen Taki as an okay drunk. A little sloppy, but nothing to worry about. And they weren't driving home, they were being driven, so it was all good.

When the blond finished, he sighed heavily, stepping back from the bar, but sticking close to Taki. The heat from the drinks was almost unbearable in his chest.

"Ready to dance yet?" he asked, leaning in to Taki's ear.

His head felt fuzzy, and Taki had been holding onto the bar with one hand because as soon as he'd knocked back the last shot, he started to sway. It was too much too fast, and he'd fly high before he sunk low. He wasn't a constant drinker throughout the day, so the shots hit his unprepared stomach and boiled.

"Dance?" He asked, almost dazed. One quick blink and a shake to his head that sent the world spinning around him, the smile on his face was loose. "Yeah."

He was so ready to dance! Poor Tohma had no more sober Taki left.

In a few minutes, he'd be sinking so hard it would hurt. He hoped Tohma was a stable drunk, because Taki was going to need someone to hold him up.

He could think of a few ways Tohma could keep him upright. But, eventually, that would send his knees crashing from under him.

Tohma was hoping that Taki wasn't a throw up drunk. A fall down drunk was fine, Tohma thought he could easily carry Taki out to the car. But he really would feel bad for whoever would have to clean up after the mess if Taki was like that.

The blond grabbed the smaller man by the hand, leading him out to a floor. Bodies pressed tight, and people tried to give elbow room, especially for the people who could actually dance.

Tohma turned to face Taki, a low fast beat bass thumping across the room. Swaying his hips in time, he stepped closer to Taki, careless about whoever was around and who saw what. It wasn't the alcohol, it was something else.

His arms draped around the other man's neck, smiling down at him. Taki had wanted his attention, and he was getting it.

Taki had never been sick in a club from too much drinking. At least, not shots. He'd gotten sick from beer before, but that was probably because the taste was awful. He was liable to trip and not be able to get up again, though.

He loved being the center of Tohma's attention, Taki decided. His hands went to Tohma's hips as they just swayed for a moment. He couldn't get his head together to actually dance.

But, this was nice. Even mostly drunk, it felt intimate and calm. Tohma would take care of him.

It was safe.

Giving a low hum, he bumped his hips against Tohma's, almost playful as he shifted them into a dance. This was wonderful. Beautiful. All he ever needed.

_Author's Notes: Aw, what a cute way to end it, right? I think so, so it doesn't matter what you think! YAY! Welp, it's feeling like bedtime for me (I'm getting old, it's only nine here), so I'm leaving it at this._

_Drop us a line._

_SL_


	69. Chapter 69

_Disclaimer: So sick..._

_Author's Notes: I was going to do some dirty joke, but I can't. 69 sucks balls, to be honest. Well, my trip to New England was eventful at the very least. I miss that park already. They were so nice and they were so much like Magic Mountain that it was like being home again._

_I had to miss work because I was running a fever, my throat hurt, everything was achey. Ew. The doc gave me stuff for my throat, a... premtive measure, if you will. Which means he didn't see anything wrong, but he gave me drugs so nothing can go wrong. It's fucked up. And the number I called for work never picked up or went to a machine. If I get a no call no show, I'm whipping out my phone and showing the call times. Fuck that. _

_My job requires energy. A lot of it. And since we're in pairs at work, if I don't have that energy to dance, or play or interact, then I make my partner look bad. And I don't want that either. But, that's for tomorrow. We're coming to the home stretch of the story, folks. _

_This is where things become fun for everyone. _

_Enjoy!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Sixty-Nine_

Tohma had dragged Taki up and out of bed, showering with the other man to make sure he didn't fall over. Needless to say, they were speeding through traffic to get to work on time and not have anyone suspect anything that they already didn't.

Once that was over, they met with Opium and packed the grumbling, overtired group into a car for choreography. Again, Fuyumi was there and waiting, this time the band had come prepared... somewhat.

Keiko had sweats and sneakers with a t-shirt packed up with her in a backpack. She knew they were going back today. Haido brought the same thing. No way anyone would see him in shorts. He'd never seen any clothing like that at Kenji's and didn't have any that would fit him, so he couldn't've packed for him.

Fuyumi told them to change and ordered them to warm up while Tohma, Taki and her discussed the concert plans.

Taki had a hangover from hell, and he had to resist the urge to lean against Tohma and close his eyes. Maybe sleep. Last night had been tough on his body, but he felt more mentally relaxed then he had in years. Like something big had finally been settled.

All he could manage to do was make soft "mmm's" of agreement, leaning against a wall because he couldn't stand up on his own. Not because of his legs, but exhaustion.

He didn't know how Tohma could do this all day.

Glancing up out of tired eyes, he saw Kenji step out in shorts and a tank top, probably one that Haido had scolded him for. In comparison, though, the shorts were loose and shiny, like something a basketball player would wear.

"So, what are we doing today?" He sounded surprisingly optimistic. Taki grinned.

Tohma smiled at the young man, and just as Fuyumi was about to order him to go stretch out, the blond stopped her. This idea was too good not to roll with, and Tohma was not taking any hissy fits on this one.

"Well, Kenji, all the songs seem to be a story," the blond said, smiling pleasantly. "So, every dance Fuyumi will be creating will help tell that story. We have a very crucial part to all this. There will be a lead dancer. A girl of Fuyumi's choosing."

And at the very end, he went on to say, since the songs seem to be about unfound love, there will be a kiss between the dancer and Kenji.

And Tohma wouldn't hear another word against it.

Kenji tried to protest. He tried to tell Tohma that he didn't like girls, so he couldn't possibly kiss one! He'd shot Haido a desperate look, but had gotten nothing in return. Keiko had just shrugged at him.

He didn't want to kiss any lead dancer! He didn't care if it fit into the songs.

But, they had been written as a story, and even before he'd met Haido, he had had something like this in mind. It wasn't so much Tohma that Kenji was fighting against, but himself.

He knew it was a good idea.

"I..." Frowning, he gave his head a quick shake, red hair unsettled. "Do I at least get to meet her first?" It would be weird to never meet someone and then just... kiss them.

"Since you'll be dancing with her for most of the concert, yes," Tohma said, nodding. "You'll be doing a lot of one on one sessions with her."

Actually, since the CD was done, most of his time would be spent here practicing with her. Fuyumi nodded in agreement, going on about how dance was a good workout and they could all keep coming here together even though they really wouldn't need it.

"Fuyumi," the blond said, the woman stopped and looked at him. "This is the last day Keiko and Haido will be coming along. Kenji will be here four days a week, the rest will be working with Aizawa-san until he sees fit to stop, and then he'll be here almost all the time."

He gave Kenji a look that practically ordered him to agree without argument.

**  
**"Yes, sir." Kenji couldn't have been more quiet if he'd been whispering.

"Hey..." Taki's voice was soft, definitely meant for only Tohma to hear. Well, and maybe Fuyumi. "Don't push him too hard. I don't want to have to redo what I've already done to him."

Because he'd placed some serious mindfucks to get the reaction he wanted out of Kenji. Making him placid like this was a total unlearning process.

That sucked.

"I'll take him and the rest of the band tomorrow. I want to test something." A park, actually. A park with a lot of extension chords and some big speakers.

Tohma raised an eyebrow as he looked at Taki, face holding the professional smile that didn't reach his eyes. He wanted this part of the concert. He would not be argued on it. By all contractual rights, Taki could override him (unless Tohma threw his weight around and overrode that by saying it was the best option for the band), but Tohma wouldn't let that happen.

He would not be fought on it.

"What do you have planned, exactly?" the blond asked, crossing his arms as he faced Taki. There was nothing cleared by him, and he hated having that gnawing edge of a thought come to mind, suggesting that Taki was taking their work relationship too lightly because of their outside of work activities.

Then again... he did have mounds of paperwork to catch up on. And if Taki took the band out tomorrow, he could get started on it, maybe work late, or go in early, see if he could clear through enough...

Taki realized that yes, he'd probably just crossed one of Tohma's business boundaries. But, he didn't look at all effected by it, and did in fact, seem to ignore it. He would have done it this way even if he and Tohma weren't sleeping together.

He just might not have been as nice about it.

"Excuse us for a second," He didn't smile at Fuyumi, but instead led the way away, fully expecting Tohma to follow him.

He was proved right when he turned around at the door, and saw Tohma behind him. "I don't have anything planned," It was sort of a lie. "I want to take the entire band tomorrow, and I can't do that if Kenji's locked up here. I'm going to take them out to a park and see how they interact with each other."

Okay, this was the hard part.

"They might end up playing."

Alright, now Tohma was growing annoyed. So much so, it was edging into anger. Taki excused both of them from the dance instructor. Taki had no right to do such a thing. None whatsoever. Anyone below Tohma should've asked permission to speak with him. That's how business was done.

But he followed Taki anyways. Staying back and waiting expectantly for things to be done the proper way would only make him look childish.

The blond listened, no more smiling. He stared through Taki, and felt that he looked almost indignant, as though he were waiting for the other man to recognize the mistake. It didn't stop him.

And now he pulled his lips into a frown. Playing? Really? For some reason, he would love to take that away from Taki. Not even for the business reasons. Just because he could.

"Sounds like a pleasant outing," Tohma replied, flatly. "But it does nothing for business. During that time, Kenji could be learning what he needs for the concert, Haido and Keiko could be working together on their music and I'd be making the money this band should be bringing in."

He took a breath, shutting his eyes. He'd gotten a tad worked up over this.

"You might as well be taking them out for a damn picnic, Taki," he said, voice lowered. "No matter how 'friendly' we are, this is still a business, and a business needs to make profit. Free shows don't do me any good. It's wasted time for a band that barely has it's name out there."

What were they? A local garage band?

Tohma was frustrating him. Taki gave up counting to ten when he reached three and had to start over. "And keeping Kenji locked up here under your orders when he's supposed to be developing leadership skills is like putting an autistic kid on crack, Tohma."

Yes, he was angry. And, it was because he was angry that it didn't occur to him to change what he was saying into something business appropriate. He'd always had trouble controlling his volume when something irritated him, too.

He was liable to start shouting in a minute.

"I don't care if they play or not, or if it's free or not. For all I care, Kenji could hum and if that was an improvement over what they have now, then I'd take it."

And Tohma wasn't understanding that!

"I can't judge how far Kenji's coming if I only have one day a week to work with. We don't have that much time left, and he won't remember the choreography if you implanted it into his skull." Cruel as it was, it was probably true.

So much for his happy, tired buzz. What a great way to ruin a good day.

He was too stubborn, too proud, and right now, too angry to consider stepping back and apologizing. It didn't matter to him that Tohma was his boss, or his lover. Tohma was pissing him off.

"Do it on one of the days he's not here!" Tohma exclaimed before claming up. He'd made it clear, hadn't he? Kenji would spend four days here, the rest with Taki or the band. How much simpler could he make it?!

Taking a deep breath, he spoke. "I need him to make this work. Kenji will learn it, or they won't perform the concert, and if the CD sales are not according to the contract, this band, and you, will be dropped."

The blond turn sharply on a heel, and after waving goodbye to Fuyumi, walked right back out the door. He would send the car back when the usual lesson time was over. Taki could stay with the band.

_Author's Notes: Nice, right? Oh how I love the torments we put our characters through. Kel's having a hard time with a few things in her life, which is the story every day of our lives, honestly. Love her to death, but I can't help but wish she'd come up with something more interesting. Killer hamsters invaded her town, pigs grew wings and started kamakizing the entire place... at the very least make it more interesting than 'life' 'creative dryspell' 'not for awhile'... Honestly, I don't care if it's a lie, as long as it's different!_

_Tell me a pretty lie._

_The last few chapters will be good, amazing, fun, awesome, spec-fucking-tacular! I honestly can't remember I'm so fucked up from this fever. I'm coherent, though. For the most part. That's the important thing._

_I'm sorry though, because as much as I would've liked the first chapter of the sequal to be posted almost right after this story, it doesn't seem like it'll be happening. We've been working on this one story for... I'm gonna say, roughly a year with Kel's on and off creative process going batty. I don't want to jump to any conclusions, but I'm thinking it might be safe to say that the sequel might not be out for a while. I'm very sorry._

_Drop us a line._

_SL_


	70. Chapter 70

_Disclaimer: Not mine!_

_Author's Notes: Hey, sorry for such a long break. Some things have gone a bit haywire in life, as usual. Work is going fine, save for some things floating around about me and my sex life. I was waiting for this to come, to be honest. It doesn't bother me in the least, but some of the nastier comments get right under my skin. My fist would like to say hi to those peoples mouths. _

_I've got a frikken adorable picture of Bugs and Lola Bunny! For those of you not remembering Lola, she was the girl bunny in Space Jam, the movie. It was a birthday request from me. Yes folks, nineteen and still dressing up as cartoon characters. I got to be a girl! Believe it or not, Tweety is a boy, kids. My Bugs that day was awesome, and completely cute. He proposed to me, it got a great reaction from the crowd, we had a blast... and it helped kind of move things forward with some feelings we've been working with._

_My older brother will be moving to Florida in May with his now fiancee and her two kids. I like them, so that's not so bad. Watching him struggle with himself is painful. One of our dogs seems to be reaching his last days... A lot of things are just a bit in upset right now. I promise to update more frequently, though. When work picks up, this might be hard to keep, but I'll try._

_An update on Kel for you all. Of course, she has school, and a life and things happening in it. Recently, things have been looking up, but to even think of bugging her to get back to work with me seems to be a useless effort. I'm going to put my money on summer. I'm hoping that when summer comes, she'll be up to writing again. Possibly some scattered replies in between, but I doubt that. _

_Leigh, thank you for the review. It's the first in a long while. And you'll just have to see what happens. Here's your next chapter._

_Enjoy!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Seventy_

He didn't like the choreographer. Kenji decided that early on. He liked her even less when he was stuck there all day. And, even less when he didn't get the time off he was supposed to. Apparently, Taki had put in a call that said he wasn't going to take him away for the afternoon.

They were in pretty bad shape when he wanted to be around Taki instead of this chick.

But, Kenji knew with reinforced certainty just why he was gay.

He didn't like kissing girls very much.

"Haido..." They were collapsed on his couch, Kenji on his back on the cushions and Haido on top of him. He liked laying this way because it was comfortable, and it sort of amused him to think about what it would look like if anyone walked in. Haido was always so warm on top of him, too, and Kenji really liked how his hands pet idly. He thought it might have something to do with the constant movement that his fingers had while he was playing. "I don't like the dance routine we have to do for this concert. I have to kiss some back up dancer."

Female back up dancer. That was even worse.

Haido was glad to have Kenji over. And it was one of those times that he liked being on the short side. Kenji's long body was stretched out under him and he could cuddle up on his side, one hand smoothing over the tight shirt under the usually worn open button down.

He pressed his face into the other man's neck, placing gentle kisses along the slight curve. Haido loved being with Kenji. This close, this comfortable...

What?

Haido stiffened up and relaxed, but it wasn't the same relaxed as before.

"A backup dancer? Why?" he asked, trying to keep a whining note out of his voice.

"Because..." Kenji couldn't ignore the way Haido stiffened on top of him. Haido relaxed, but it wasn't the same. It was too tense to be real relaxation. "That's what the choreographer said while we were practicing today."

And, ew, he'd had to practice the whole routine, since they'd had the entire day. Kenji thought it was really, really gross.

"In the last song, the lyrics are all about coming together, right? So... that's what the dance is going to be about, too." He really wished it wasn't. Kenji thought this choreography thing was stupid.

Really stupid. But, he knew it was better to have something to do onstage instead of nothing at all.

Still... kissing a girl? He'd already been forced into that once today. He didn't want to make it look willing onstage, because it wouldn't be at all!

"Well...," Haido paused, thinking as he pushed himself up so he was balanced on his hands over Kenji. "What about ending it in a hug or something?"

Didn't the artists get any clout over the things they were doing? Maybe if they went and explained how uncomfortable it would be, seeing as they were in a relationship. Would that help?

"Well, Kenji, I'm not comfortable with this," Haido said, hoping he was sounding reasonable. He didn't want to make Kenji's job any harder, but he needed to have his say, too.

Kenji made an uncomfortable face, and shrugged one skinny shoulder. "I don't think I'll be able to get out of it... I mean, I tried today, and she," No question on who the 'she' was. "was pretty adamant about it."

He had to suppress a shudder, because he didn't want to let on about how adamant she'd been. Haido was already edging on upset with him, so he didn't want to make it any worse.

It would be better if he just didn't mention it, right? Not right now at least.

Because he knew he would. He didn't have it in him to keep anything from Haido. He couldn't do it with Keiko, either. But, Haido was the one person he shouldn't have to keep secrets from.

He sort of felt like they'd be better off if he didn't mention this, though.

Haido wasn't happy about this. Any of it. There had to be a way to get out of one stupid kiss. Surely they could call on a small favor from Taki! Maybe Tohma would be okay with it if they could just explain how inappropriate it was to force a couple working together to witness a partner kiss someone else.

Gently, Haido got up off Kenji, sitting between his legs. He was not happy.

"Taki might be willing to help us out, right? We've been doing so well now... maybe he could 'convince' Tohma?" the smaller man suggested, looking at Kenji with hardened eyes.

He didn't like the look Haido was giving him. Kenji didn't like it just as much as he didn't like the choreographer.

Pushing himself up until his knees were bent on either side of Haido and his back was pressed against the arm of the couch, Kenji frowned, giving a sigh.

"Taki wouldn't care. It's his fault I was there all day anyway. Any complaint I give him now is going to sound stupid." And Taki would ignore it, just like every other complaint they'd given.

Kenji felt a little like the boy who'd cried wolf. No one was going to listen now, right?

He didn't want to do the kiss, but he was resigned to his fate. He had to, and he knew it. And, he'd known Haido wouldn't like it. Kenji wasn't comfortable keeping it from him until the concert, though.

Now, he wasn't sure if that hadn't been the lesser of two evils.

Haido's frown deepened as he stared Kenji down. He was angry now. Not just unhappy, but angry. Kenji was acting like his usual self. Couldn't do anything for himself, needed someone else to take control for him. He was acting like a child all over again. He should be able to stand up for something he wanted, or didn't want.

"It's a minor detail, Kenji," Haido said through tightly clenched teeth. "I'm sure, if you actually _tried_ to talk to someone higher up about it, it might be fixed."

Instead, he just sat around moping. Haido got up from the couch and walked into the kitchen, rummaging around uselessly for something to snack on. He ate when he was angry. A lot.

"Haido!" Kenji pushed himself off the couch, frowning in earnest now. He was frustrated, not quite angry, but fast getting there. Haido shouldn't be walking away from him right now! They had to be able to see each other to get to any sort of compromise!

But, he did NOT feel like compromising. He felt more like grabbing Haido by the front of his shirt and shaking him until he remembered that this wasn't about their relationship - it was about their JOBS.

He had to do it. This was a decision made by either Tohma or Taki, and neither of them would be up for removing it from the set. He didn't understand why Haido couldn't see that! Was he really so self oriented that he couldn't see beyond his own discomfort to realize that they had no choice in this?

"Will you just think about it? For a second? Please?" He followed him into the kitchen, rubbing a hand through his hair as he walked and leaving it in a state of disarray. "It's not like I like the idea of kissing someone else! I don't have a choice!"

Haido had found, eventually, some leftovers. He didn't know what, but it hadn't been there long since it was at the front of the fridge. He'd popped it into a microwave to reheat it and slammed the tiny door when he heard Kenji's voice. He pushed each button so hard the appliance moved back a little bit.

He took a deep breath and turned around tensely, trying to stay calm and looked Kenji in the eye.

"I understand that you _think_ you don't have a choice," he said. "But someone might be able to listen and understand if it was making you uncomfortable. What I _don't_ understand is why you won't make the effort to say you're uncomfortable and-"

The microwave beeped repeatedly and Haido turned to open it, taking out some chopsticks from a drawer after he found out it was leftover noodles. He ate a mouthful before continuing.

"Just tell them you're uncomfortable with it."

And Haido expected Kenji to do just that.

He turned back around to heat up the food a bit more. It was still cold in the middle. When he turned back around to finish talking about it, he was greeted by the sound of the front door slamming shut and the miserable, shrill beep of the microwave.

Maybe, Haido worried for just a moment, he'd pushed him a little too far.

He didn't think about it anymore after that. Let him kiss the dancer. Let him be a doormat.

Haido didn't even make a motion to follow out the door after him.

_Author's Notes: Dum dum DUUUUUUUUUM! Didn't see it coming, did you? A little insight here, this is the moment Kel and I had planned from the beginning, honestly. We figured we needed a big, big upset. This came to us and we haven't let it die. The real ending went as planned, too. So don't worry. You'll see what we wanted._

_I hope things are still keeping you guys interested. I'm sorry about the many delays. And, eventually, we'll have a sequel to this story. I'm going to hope for the end of summer on that one._

_Drop us a line!_

_SL_


	71. Chapter 71

_Disclaimer: Not mine._

_Author's Notes: Hey again! Here we are at chapter seventy one. We've come such a long way since the beginning, I can't even express how happy I am about this story. Now, I was going to have Kel do A/Ns for almost every chapter from here on. Unfortunately, her shcool has recently dumped an assload of work on her because it's the end of the year and finals and whatnot._

_This chapter should shock some of you. I dunno. We'll see. Thanks for the few reviews we've gotten over the last few weeks while we've been in a bit of a mess with updating. We really appreciate it!_

_Enjoy!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Seventy-One_

"I don't know what your problem is!" He finally burst out in exasperation, throwing up his hands and pacing the well worn circle around Tohma's office again. Taki sighed, giving Tohma a sharp glare from the corner of his eye. "A park appearance isn't going to kill them. It's only going to boost their popularity and sell out their next sequence of concerts!"

Tohma knew that. Taki didn't understand why giving him the control he needed with his band was so hard to do. It hadn't been before, and it was, in fact, only this week that Tohma had tightened his grip and made it impossible to change schedule. Opium had been in studio, locked up tight, and nothing Taki said could get them out of it.

Tohma was looking out the large window that was pretty much the final wall of his office. The view was gorgeous. A million dollar view a realtor would call it, no doubt. Sometimes, he liked to think that there were other businessmen and women bored at work looking out their windows and there were meeting each others eyes, but they'd never realize it. They could know each other, but never meet.

It was an interesting thought.

Taki was still here. Still arguing his decision. That was just like Taki, wasn't it? Always loud, always had to have the last word.

"Seguchi-san?" It was Aki's voice from the intercom.

He swiveled his chair to face the desk and hit the button. "Yes, Aki?"

"Your wife is on line one."

"I'm in a talk with Aizawa-san. Is it important?" he asked in a bored. He wanted to go out.

"She's surprisingly calm, sir. She says you can call her back later if you want, but she'd rather talk to you now."

"I'll take it."

He held up a hand to Taki telling him to keep quiet as he picked up the desk phone and hit the blinking button connecting him with his wife.

It had been a week of conversations just like this one. Taki felt the snub like it had been a direct blow to the face. His arms crossed over his chest and the slight scowl on his face deepened.

Bastard. There was no other word that could fit the scathing way he felt toward Tohma right now. It rolled off the tongue, all harsh tones and sharp stops.

_Bastard!_

He was so tired of being ignored, and for no reason! He hadn't done anything unusual, he hadn't crossed any boundaries that he wasn't allowed, and Tohma was acting as if he were a disobedient child!

The couch caught him as he threw himself down onto it, and his glare was harsh. He knew if he did it long enough, Tohma would have to look at him.

Tohma turned back towards the window instead as he listened to his wife's voice on the phone. He sat poised and cross legged in the chair, brow furrowing ever so slightly. He felt his mouth pinch in the corners and he nodded his head, though only Taki was there to see it.

"Alright, so what happened?" he asked, leaning back deeply into the leather chair. He heard it creak just slightly underneath him.

Half of him wanted to hang up. After all, Mika seemed to be taking too long at getting around to the point. He was making soft encouraging noises into the receiver. The other half of him wanted to know what she was talking.

Mika was usually a hard and abrasive woman. On the outside, almost hard to love. In reality, since he had known her when they were young, she wasn't always like that. She had to become like that. Right now, it was like talking to a high school version Mika all over again. Her voice was light and she giggled and she sounded so excited.

But, all she was telling him was how sick she had gotten on her week away. The throwing up, the cramping, et cetera.

_"Tohma?"_

"Yes, Mika?" the blond answered, sitting up straighter. Like she'd caught him zoning out.

_"We're pregnant!"_

The blond sat, shocked and unable to think of a thing to say.

"Honey, I'm so happy," Tohma said, almost dazed. "Let me finish up here at work and I'll be home right away."

A minute or two more and he hung up. Getting out of his seat, he went to the window and looked out at the city. Amazing view.

It wasn't working.

Taki squelched the emotional urge to get up and leave. There was something oddly personal about the silence in the office, and that seemed to press him back against the couch, unable to move.

It also pissed him off, and the feeling that he was unwanted here made it impossible to stay still.

With what had to be too much effort, he sat up, uncrossed his arms, and summoned what was left of his rationality to gain a steady voice. "Tohma?"

It probably wasn't a good idea to break the silence. It was probably a really bad idea. But, he did it anyway, and was proud when his voice didn't shake and wobble, which he'd feared it would as it came out.

The blond turned away from that window. The one he had made specifically for his office. At the time, it had felt like his way to the outside world he'd never felt apart of. And it made him feel safe at the same time.

He felt as though he was moving in slow motion. That little turn of head. Then his shoulders followed suit with his arms and waist and finally legs, looking at Taki sitting on the couch. He didn't want to say anything about the conversation. He suddenly felt the weight of his marriage and how it affected his other relationships. The ball and chain was a real feeling, and he'd never known it until now.

Feeling as though he were swimming through the silence of the office. He thought about Mika. Tried to piece it together and the timeframe fit. That one night when'd been lonely because Taki had shut him out. The one time he'd felt a need for comfort and went to his wife. Taken her to his bed. She knew he was no good with emotional comfort. His emotions were through his body, and when he couldn't describe them, he was best comforted by taking someone to bed.

That one night.

And suddenly, he felt like he'd lost his entire life. Everything he'd earn and gain was for nothing now that he had to lose it all.

Tohma found himself sitting next to Taki on the couch. He pulled the other man close to him and wish he felt confident enough to talk about this. See what would happen. Just sit there and hold the dark haired man that he'd put through so much...

This is what regret felt like.

Instead of words, he looked at Taki and saw the dark eyes that seemed to grow worried as they looked at him, still tinged slightly with the dark line of anger. Tohma lowered his head and pressed his lips against Taki's.

His brow furrowed against the kiss, but Taki couldn't bring himself to pull away from it. There was something soft and intimate about it. Like Tohma was convinced that this would be the last kiss they had.

It made Taki nervous, and his frown only deepened even as his hands came up to the back of Tohma's neck. There was something wrong with this, and he knew it. He didn't know what, but was more than sure that it had to do with the phone call from Tohma's wife.

And that irked him, more than it should. Mika was something to Tohma that he could never be. She was important, official, someone he could walk around with and not hide the relationship between them. It struck him that because of Mika, because of that relationship (a marriage, he reminded himself), it didn't matter how close he and Tohma became.

Eventually, they would have to part ways, and stop being what they were.

Eyes squeezing shut, Taki pressed himself closer to Tohma, determined now not to think anymore.

_Authors Notes: Hi! Did we see this one coming? I'm not sure. I'd love some feedback. This really was a spur of the moment plan because then we decided we wanted a sequel. Either way, I thought this was very shocking, yet stuck to the originial just a bit. I know Mika's pregnancy comes up during the manga and this is based two years after that, but creative license allows me to make her magically pregnant now. _

_I'm just magic like that._

_Now, here's where I'd have Kel's A/N, but like I said, an assload of work. What I do have planned, which I haven't put up to Kel yet is that for the very last chapter we'll probably do a huge overview to talk about a lot of things in the story that we'd like to share with you guys. It'll probably get a little random, I may put in a few snipits of past convos and things if I feel like it. I really would like for you guys to see how our 'creative process' works. _

_Needless to say, it involved many late nights and a lot of sugar. I'm sure you'll all get a good laugh!_

_Drop us a line!_

_SL_


	72. Chapter 72

_Disclaimer: Lalalala!_

_Author's Notes: Hey, guess what? I had my first promotion today! See, Six Flags can be hired out to have characters go out of park and make appearances. This is to help promote our park. I loved these things. I got to go to the X Games in California because of this. It was a great time! This was my first one in Jersey. Not great, but a lot of fun._

_And I got a new pet! It was an accident. A baby bird fell from its nest in the back lot at work and there was a storming coming. We've got cats at the park that roam and the mom tried to pick it up but couldn't do it and we couldn't reach the nest. I was going to cry if I had to leave it there. So, I now have a bird that lives in a cupcake box!_

_His name is Kaboom, since that's how they said he fell. XD Mean, I know. I call him 'boom for short. He's quite ugly. Very young, though. Barely any fuzz on him, young. I'm hoping I'll be able to set him free once he's old enough, but I'm worried that since he's so young he might become a hand bird. I'd rather not do that to a wild bird, but I wouldn't know what to do otherwise._

_Anyways, on to the story!_

_Enjoy!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Seventy-Two_

Keiko was sitting on her couch, beer in hand, lit cigarette in the other. There were few things she knew how to handle. One was Kenji angry. The other was midgets and world domination, but that was a different story and this wasn't the one happening.

She left the TV off. Usually she was full of distractions when Kenji was over, but the look on his face kinda scared her. She didn't want to rub him the wrong way at all. His whole being warned her against doing that.

She took a large swallow of beer and pulled on the cigarette until the filter went hot and soft between her finger and her lungs burned.

Kenji had a bad day.

"Sooo... do you want anything to drink?" she asked, shifting on the couch.

Beer, water and beer.

"No." It was the most Kenji had said since asking Keiko for a ride to her house. He didn't want to go home, and there was no way in hell he was going to go home with Haido. He hadn't offered Keiko an explanation, hadn't made any suggestion as to what it was about...

But, it couldn't be hard to tell. He'd taken every measure available to him to avoid being around Haido today. They'd talked for two minutes in the beginning of their lunch break, and Kenji had had to stop and force himself to calm down too many times within those minutes to think of being around Haido.

He was being totally unreasonable! Kenji had tried to explain to him that he'd talked to the choreographer, but - and then Haido had given him a look, and told him that a "but" wasn't good enough.

Kenji couldn't take it. He was already under enough pressure for the concert, with the choreographer and Taki telling him that the concert had to be perfect... He didn't need, and couldn't handle, Haido bitching at him on top of that.

Keiko swallowed hard, snubbing out the cigarette in the ashtray on the small table in front of her. This was just worrisome. Kenji was happy and bouncy. Keiko was moody and bitchy.

Food! Food always seemed to work.

Who was she kidding. Kenji came to her without asking anything. She knew he needed to talk about something. No use pretending he didn't, even if only to keep him not all explode-y.

"Kenji, is there anything you'd like to talk about? Friend to friend?"

"Guys are stupid drama queens!" Kenji burst out, the scowl on his face harsh and unyielding. He didn't get up to pace, but it was clear he was close. "Haido's being a total asshole about the stupid me having to kiss the fucking dancer thing! And I can't get out of it because the choreographer's stupid and Tohma and Taki won't change anything!"

Because EVERYTHING had to be perfect! It couldn't be just a little off, or even improved, it had to be perfect! It made Kenji want to be sick.

Keiko thought about it as she lit a fresh cigarette. Well, Haido was being a bit demanding. It wasn't like Kenji was testing the waters of the relationship or there was reason to worry like that.

Haido was being silly.

"Well, consider this small time apart from Haido a bit of a break so you can focus on the performance," she offered.

Kenji's nod was numb, almost detached. He didn't want to focus on the performance. He did that at work, and focusing on the concert had gotten him in trouble with Haido in the first place.

He was tired of thinking about the concert.

Looking up at Keiko, he managed a weak smile. "Is it okay if I stay here tonight?" Watching Keiko's nod made his smile stronger, steady.

It was nice, having someone he could depend on, even if she did leave him with bruises and occasionally accidental cigarette burns.

_Author's Notes: I'm getting kind of sleepy here, and I have work tomorrow, so there's not much to say here. This chapter was most likely to bring Keiko back into the picture for a minute. Y'know, showing off that whole friendship thing, a different side of her and whatnot._

_So sleepy..._

_Drop us a line._

_SL_


	73. Chapter 73

_Disclaimer: Blah._

_Author's Notes: Oh man, guys. I'm so sorry for the delays! It's been a long, crazy life. I'd been working seven days a week with maybe one day off every now and then from nine in the morning until midnight. I barely had time to sleep let alone update, and I should've said something. I've just been so worn down. _

_As far as Great Adventure is concerned, I've left. I couldn't take the lack of order and insane hours without thanks or anything besides a mediocre paycheck. I should be getting overtime, but since it's seasonal, we don't get that. For what I was putting in, I wasn't getting enough back. I'll be starting at a daycare nearby tomorrow. This is a simple nine to five, five days a week. Until I get a weekend job, I'll have weekends free to update._

_Also, to let you all know, Kel's gotten back on her feet with school out. She's on a vacation right now, but we've been working in fragments every few weeks on the sequel. So for everyone who had patience, we thank you. It's all on me that this story hasn't updated in so long. Rest assured, it IS completed and sectioned into chapters. I just haven't had time. _

_Again, thank you, few devoted readers, for your time and patience. Please enjoy!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Seventy-Three_

The envelope was high quality, but he couldn't expect anything less from Tohma. It was stiff in his hand, textured. Taki hadn't opened it, but he recognized the handwriting that had addressed it to him.

It looked too formal. Too strange after a week of Tohma avoiding him.

It used to be the other way around.

He knew Tohma was avoiding him, too. Not just busy and occupied. Taki had gone to see him twice over the past week. He'd stopped, talked to Tohma's secretary, like Tohma had told him to, and he'd watched her phone him into the office.

And he'd watched her hang up the phone and shake her head at him. It seemed almost sympathetic.

Stretched out on the couch with his head against the arm, envelope held up to the light like it would show him through the thick paper what was inside, Taki finally brought it down. Unwilling fingers pried it open, and pulled out a card.

A card, not a letter. A card that had a machine printed message on it.

_The Seguchi Family invites you,_  
And then a hand printed copy of his name, in that same handwriting he wished he didn't recognize.  
_To a Baby Shower!_

And then the address to the mansion. Taki blinked at it, reread it, and closed the card. Dropping it onto the table, he draped his arm over his eyes and gave a heavy sigh. He felt like he should be crying, instead of just feeling used. If there were something solid that he could identify inside himself, something he could claim to have belonged to Tohma's, he knew it would be broken now.

Tohma had been spending most of the week running errands for Mika. Anything she wanted, he went and got for her personally. She didn't ask for much, barely took advantage of the offer. But still, he made sure she had more than was needed. He left little gifts and things for her everywhere, everyday.

The mother of his child deserved nothing but the best. And as a person, she had earned it. A strange marriage where she was second to everything else in his life, including lovers, and now to have a child coming into the mix... Tohma felt he needed to change himself.

He tried not to be too pessimistic about it. He would still be happy. Mika was his best friend, after all. Watching his child grow and learn and he would be there for it all. Those things would make him happy.

The blond realized, as he scanned the room for a familiar head of dark disheveled hair for the umpteenth time and finding nothing but cooing women and stuffy business men drinking and laughing loudly, that he would never have the chance to actually be happy _with_ someone.

He had wasted that time.

_Author's Notes: I know it was short. I'll post the next one tomorrow after work. Today. Erm, whatever. This is the beginning of the end, so to speak. I can't give away too much for you guys. Again, Kel and I thank you for your patience and rest assured the story will be completed soon with the sequel to come. It won't be right away as it's still being worked on and only a few chapters of this left, but it will be out._

_Thank you for your patience and time! We can't thank you enough._

_Drop us a line!_

_SL_


	74. Chapter 74

_Disclaimer: Mrr?_

_Author's Notes: Okay, so like I promised, the next chapter. The daycare is wonderful! Such a pleasant change. Working and laughing with kids compared to getting beaten up by them. And they're still learning. I'm teaching. Not professionally, of course, but in a sense I am and it feels wonderful._

_And I'll have loads of time. I get off at six, home by seven... I really have no idea what to do with myself right now. lol It's a weird feeling. _

_Anyways, please enjoy the next chapter!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Seventy-Four_

Haido was cool and defiant looking, all sparkles and glitz, courtesy of whoever was in charge of their wardrobe. He had a corner of a small towel tucked into the tight clingy pants. The lights were bright, large and hot after a few minutes on stage. A bottle of water was held in his hand, because his mouth was drying out every few seconds.

Keiko was not happy with her attire, at all. They made her girly. Not only that, but bordering on things falling out skin showing! She'd be cooler than the boys out on stage, but she was not happy!

Tohma was, as usual, calm, cool and collected, doing nothing but sitting in the back room, legs crossed and hands interlocked as he stared up at the ceiling. It had started snowing again early in the afternoon and stopped. It was going on six now, the concert starting in two hours and he had no doubt it would wind up snowing again later on tonight.

Kenji was trying to relax himself. He'd paced the length of the room so many times Keiko had almost tripped him to make him stop. The pants he had on were tight, but that wasn't anything unusual. His shirt was clearly see through, and it would likely come off within the hour or so they were on stage.

He had just started pacing again when he heard Taki approach them, and stopped. The silence now felt awkward, and while he hadn't minded it before, he wanted more then ever to be onstage and away from whatever they'd unknowingly put themselves into.

"Can we go out yet?" He finally asked, glancing at Taki where he stood near Tohma, but noticeably apart. Taki hadn't sat down.

"You should get into your positions," Taki decided, and Kenji couldn't help but notice that his voice was soft. He wasn't looking at Tohma. In fact, Kenji didn't remember Taki acknowledging that Tohma was in the room. He'd at least nodded at all the rest of them. "The stage hands will show you where you need to go. It's downstairs."

Kenji nodded hurriedly, eager to be out of the room. "Yep! We're coming up through the floor, I remember!" Almost desperate to be out, he grabbed Haido by the hand and tugged. He knew Keiko would follow to make sure they didn't get lost. "Come on, let's go!"

He wouldn't have been surprised if the door knob had left a dent in the wall as it swung open, and then drifted shut again.

Free!

Taki didn't flinch as the door shut, and neither did he make a move to sit down next to Tohma. He kept standing, a foot from the couch with his arms crossed over his chest.

After a long, charged moment, he asked, "How's your wife?"

Keiko and Haido had no choice but to follow their moron out the door and to wherever they were going. They felt like time was slowing down when Taki entered the room and said nothing to Tohma.

What Keiko might've jokingly called a 'lovers spat' was more serious than that. They did not need or want to be in that room anymore.

Tohma didn't feel anything different when Taki walked in. Well, he felt the emptiness of it. He heard the soft tone in Taki's voice when speaking to Kenji. But after that, there was nothing. Tohma had given up. He knew this.

Still, he moved all the way to the other end of the couch before answering.

"She's well. Taking some bed rest," he said, smiling just slightly and made a motion for Taki to sit now that he wasn't in the middle of it anymore.

"I'm sorry you didn't make it to the shower," the blond sighed. "It was a nice party. You would've been more fun than half those stuck up people."

There was a furrow in his brow as Tohma spoke. Taki couldn't help it, and did not, would not move any closer to the couch. More fun. He knew what kind of fun he was to Tohma, and he knew that the invitation, the grossly formal, impersonal invitation was the last of it.

It felt less like he was crossing his arms and more like he was holding himself together.

"It's better that I didn't go." Tohma wouldn't be able to sit there now and describe it as a nice party if he'd have gone, Taki knew that. It was taking all of his effort now to keep his voice conversational. He wanted to scream, cry, throw himself at Tohma and make him say that it was all some stupid joke.

But, he didn't move.

Instead, he thought of all the things he could say.

'I came to visit you this week. I talked to your secretary. She smiled at me when I left, because she knew it was over before I did.' Or, maybe, 'How could you do this to me, you rotten bastard?'

His voice was still quiet and careful when he spoke again, two things he was not accustomed to being. "Why didn't you tell me about this yourself?" Why with an invitation? Tohma had never been so cowardly before.

For the first time since Taki had entered the room, Tohma looked at him. There was nothing as happy or light on his face that was in his voice. He wasn't smiling, his teal eyes felt tight around the corners. All he wanted to do was run his hands over his face and cradle his chin. Be more comfortable. Less stiff. Just like he had always been around Taki.

Why the invitation? How could he explain without sounding like he was struggling for words, making something up?

"That day," Tohma said, swallowed and cleared his throat before going on. "That day we were arguing in my office and I had gotten the call from my wife. That was the day I found out. And I wanted to tell you... but..."

He shifted in his seat and looked almost pleadingly at Taki to understand.

"You know how some men say that, or joke about, being married is just pressure and a loss of freedom and unhappiness? I never felt like that. I never treated Mika with disrespect either. She understood and was welcome to tell me anything she felt. But... this child..."

The blond stirred nervously.

"I didn't know how to tell you. I didn't know how this would've changed anything. We both said so many things, and... I _wanted_ to believe they were all true, but-"

A stage hand came running in, announcing that they needed everyone to do the final check.

Tohma was... babbling, Taki realized dimly. He'd never heard Tohma speak like this. Rushed and unsure of himself. Tohma was always calm, collected and in control. Even when he wasn't, and Taki knew he wasn't, he always sounded as if he were.

And now, he sounded like a man at loss. As if he had no idea what to do, or where to go from here.

Taki didn't like it. He didn't like being the one to see the only path out, even though it would hurt, even though it would give a level of separation that they'd never be able to reach across again. This, he knew, would be his last real conversation with Tohma.

It tore him apart inside to realize that this conversation, this desperate, clinging conversation with a man that he knew was Tohma, would be their last.

The urge to reach out and touch was strong. Just brush back that little bit of blond falling in front of one eye. His fingers itched, and he pressed his elbows tighter against them. His eyes stung. He hated feeling so weak, so helpless, and it was worse because he knew he had to be the one to get them out of this.

Tohma was just as helpless as he was.

They were both saved by the stage hand, and Taki nodded at the man to leave. They knew. The final check.

Finally, he moved. He took that step forward, put a hand on the back of Tohma's neck, and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. "Don't worry. Everything's going to be okay," He lied, forcing a smile onto his face as he stepped back, let his hand fall, and made himself look at Tohma with only professionalism. "We'd better get started on the check."

The sooner they started, the sooner he could go home.

Taki was the one comforting him. The blond wasn't use to this new comfort. It felt nice though. Taki's hand had been warm on the back of his neck and the brief press of his lips made him actually smile.

He knew it wouldn't be okay. He didn't even know if Taki would listen to him again, but a small part of him did hope that they were going to find out together. As long as it was together.The blond stood up and nodded, following the stage hand out for final checks. And then people would start to be let in. Opening act, and then Opium was on.

Everything was in motion and couldn't be stopped.

_Author's Notes: Not much to say on this one. It's the obvious climactic point Kel and I were first working towards when we started this as a one shot. How close to the originals plans it is remains to be seen... hah!_

_Drop us a line!_

_SL_


	75. Chapter 75

_Disclaimer: Seventy-four chapters of this... do I need to?_

_Author's Notes: Sorry for the delays again. Annoyances abound. So here we are... nearing the end. Closer and closer. Excitment!_

_Enjoy!_

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Seventy-Five_

From beneath the stage, Kenji could hear the opening act. He knew the song - Tohma and Taki had picked a group that was already fairly well known. Better publicity, Taki said.

He let himself hum along. He'd already had two hours of practice today. More wouldn't hurt, and it would make up for the talking he'd done. Talking was a sure way to kill a singing voice, he knew that.

Around them, there were stage hands checking the ropes that would pull their little platforms up onto the stage. It felt strange to be surrounded by busy people and not feel like he had to work himself. Kenji was used to being around productivity and doing nothing, but he always knew there was something he should be doing.

Now, he was waiting for what he should be doing.

Glancing behind him, his humming faltered just a little as he cast Haido a smile. They'd talked a little. Staying at Keiko's had given him enough time to calm down, and he'd finally sat Haido down (rather, sat down on Haido and wouldn't let him protest), and discussed things.

Everything would be okay. After tonight, everything would be perfect.

Haido caught Kenji's smile, and he felt his face soften up. He wasn't happy, but he could live with this show. Kenji had sat on him, which wasn't comfortable. He was heavy even if he was skinny. It was a dense weight.

He hadn't made any promises, but they'd talked in circles about not doing the kiss scene. He was sure that under the lights and crowd and knowing he was being watched, Kenji would go through with it anyway, but it was nice to see that he had cared enough to talk to him again about it.

A stage tech checked the last of the ropes, talked into a headset and suddenly they all cleared out. And it then his Haido that they were really going to perform.

Keiko, on the other hand, was ready and prepared. Trying to tuck things back in a little bit so nothing went wrong on stage. Other than that (and Kenji sitting on Haido at her place) she was sure everything would be handled.

If Kenji could bring up the stage presence every front man needs.

"We are go in 10!"

Ten minutes left before they started. Keiko was nothing but excited.

Ten, ten, ten! Ten minutes! Ten minutes too long!

Kenji had to resist the urge to rub his hands through his hair. He'd mess up all the spray and gel in it that was keeping it the way the stylist wanted. Not up and crazy, like Kenichi Ito's... but, down, trimmed a little so that it wasn't curving in like it sometimes did.

It was going to get ruined on stage, but Kenji was too excited to care. Excited, and maybe a little nervous. Anxious. A stage up there, and an audience waiting!

Minutes dragged by, but finally, the music stopped above them and the crowd roared in approval. Kenji pressed his hands together to keep them from shaking, then shook them out because his fingers were tingling.

This was it. This was really the beginning of everything they'd ever worked for.

The jitters were passed between all of them and as the applause and cheers were gaining strengths again, their platforms raised with a jolt. Up, up, up and they pushed open the hidden doors, letting flashing lights and a wave of sound wash in over each of them.

_Author's Notes: Here's the concert. If you remember, when Kel and I firsted started this idea as a oneshot, it was going to revolve around this concert. Slowly this huge story came about from it. We're very proud of it and we hope you're all enjoying it. The last chapters is coming tomorrow._

_Drop us a line._

_SL_


	76. Chapter 76

_Disclaimer: Blah, blah, blah._

_Author's Notes: As a Brand New song goes: This is the end/this story's old but it goes on and on until it disappears..._

_**Transaction**_

_Chapter Seventy-Six_

Tohma was sitting next to Taki. At least the other man was next to him. The were backstage watching the band from the sidelines without being in the way of the techs. Tohma didn't want to be out in the crowd, and this way he could see all the hard work Kenji and the others had put into it.

They were into the second song now, and Kenji was a hit so far. He'd picked up the dance, the girl was beautiful, and Kenji was winning over the crowd.

They must like skinny pale guys.

The blond felt nervous. He didn't know why. Having Taki next to him and how quiet they were. No feedback to one another or anything like that. Slowly, hesitantly Tohma took his hand and placed it over one of Taki's, and his heart started beating a little faster.

Tohma's hand was thin and dry over his. Gloveless. Taki ignored it, defiantly ignored the way it was making his heart ache. He wanted to pull away and make Tohma keep his distance, but couldn't. He wasn't ready to let go the way he knew he had to.

His eyes narrowed as Kenji moved away from the girl, giving her a smile as he sang and a hand up to keep her where she was. His hand tightened under Tohma's, turning to hold on because he had to have something to grip.

If Kenji...

The way Kenji sang, it sounded as if he were suppressing laughter, like he were in on some great joke that no one else knew about. He sidled toward Haido's keyboard and looped one thin arm around Haido's shoulders. It might have been taken as a friendly gesture, but Taki knew better.

That arm was only around Haido's shoulders because Kenji was too tall to get him around the waist.

It was timed just right. The choreographer had certainly taught Kenji something about timing. Keiko's guitar solo kicked in as Kenji's smile widened to the point where he couldn't sing, and his voice sounded soft and private as it murmured over the speakers, "I love you. Always, forever - just you."

And then he did it.

Taki lurched forward as Kenji kissed Haido, much to the appreciation of the crowd, which screamed its joy. It was only Tohma's tightened hold on his hand that kept him from making it to the stage to tear them apart.

There was something about happy couples that just pissed him off tonight.

Tohma felt Taki stiffen under him. He frowned deeply watching the performance on stage. They'd been quiet now for some time. He'd been watching the entire show through the eyes of both a spectator and a music inclined businessman.

Kenji was doing well. New, obviously. Tohma liked the sound, the dancing was (of course) well suited to the music. Then things got weird during the last song.

And it happened.

Tohma let his head roll back and he stared up at the ceiling. This was ridiculous.

"We'll be talking to them after the concert?" the blond asked Taki, gripping the other man's hand tighter, knowing he was the anchor keeping him from going onstage.

Taki made a noncommittal sound of approval, finally yanking his hand from Tohma's and turning away from the stage. He couldn't watch that anymore, and certainly couldn't do it while Tohma was holding onto him.

Suddenly, backstage seemed too tight, too closed in. He moved away with a desperate sense of purpose, heading for the green sign up ahead that flashed the word, "Exit!" over and over.

To him, exit was the same as escape. He had to get out of this mess.

Tohma watched Taki leave, unhappy at the recent chain of events. Kenji had ruined a beautiful dance routine and a great concert, outed himself and Haido with no thought about anyone else.

Did he know if Haido wanted to be announced as gay yet? Especially to a worldwide media. This wasn't just friends and family. At least it was good publicity.

The stage lights went out to the screams of the crowd and the blonde got up, since he didn't want to face Opium yet. Instead, he left out the same exit door that Taki had gone through, the heavy door closing with a gusty thunk.

Immediately, the cold air hit him, hard. Tohma wished for his long coat and hat and gloves. He'd left them in a room backstage. The wind was strong and chilled, pushing around the little, soft flurries of snow that had seemed to start falling about an hour ago. It laid thinly across the ground and he searched for Taki, who was a dark, shadowed figure against the blue black sky.

"Taki?" he asked, wrapping his arms around himself, walking closer. "Are you alright?"

"Fine." Taki bit off without turning to look who had followed him. Who else? Even if Tohma hadn't spoken, Taki would have known.

But, what was he supposed to tell Tohma? The truth? No, he wasn't fine. He was angry at Kenji and Haido for being happy when he couldn't. He was angry at Tohma for not thinking ahead, for not being more careful. He was bitter, he was frustrated, and he wanted...

He wanted Tohma.

"I'm fine," he lied again, firmer now.

It didn't matter that there was at least an inch of snow on the ground, darkening the hems of his pants where they hesitated before the ground. The cold didn't bother him. Tohma was all he had focused on, and all he wanted to go away.

And he knew that the only way to do that was to remove himself from the situation.

He didn't believe that one single bit. Taki was lying, nothing new under times of stress, but he wanted to be heard. He hadn't gotten to finish before, and it seemed like he might not be heard now. The ex singer wanted nothing to do with him.

Tohma figured Taki knew what he was thinking better than the blonde did himself.

"Taki, please," he said, stepping in front of the dark haired man, trying to will him to look into his eyes. "Look at me. I never got to finish what I was saying before the concert. Please."

Taki looked, but he didn't want to hear. He didn't try to move around Tohma, though he certainly wanted to, - being this close to Tohma made him want to touch him, and that wouldn't help their situation - but looked up at him instead.

That inch difference used to drive him crazy. It didn't bother him so much, now.

Tohma sighed, watching his breath plume out in a fine, white smoke. Just hot air connecting with cold. That was kind of how they had been. Hot and cold. They were opposites, and still they had managed well together. They had been strange and tumultuous, but Tohma realized he'd been happy to work at getting Taki. Happy to make him happy.

Slowly, he released his numb grip around his thin arms and placed his hands on the sides of the other man's face. They were both cold, so the blond didn't worry about it at all. Tohma leaned in for one last kiss, taking what he could because Taki had every right to leave forever after this.

"I didn't want you to be second to anything," he whispered when he pulled back.

The blond stepped back and had nothing left to say. There were many more things he wanted to say, but he couldn't. He didn't want Taki to be second, but his child had to come first.

Left with his silent thoughts, he walked away from Taki, watching the snow fall endlessly from the dark sky.

He couldn't breathe.

It was hard to remind himself that he had to, because Tohma was walking away from him. Taki started to tell him to wait, got so far as, "T-" and stopped himself. What would he say? How could he respond to something like that?

He couldn't, and it wasn't just his pride that wouldn't let him. Covering his mouth with a hand, Taki held in a shaky breath as he let Tohma go.

I want to say that we had everything planned so far as this story goes, but we didn't. We made the early mistake of not giving Tohma and Taki a past relationship, so when I suggested a quick one shot, we had to actually get them together - which I'm sure you've realized takes a lot more than a few pages.

Anyway, Taki has been the most dynamic character I've ever written. And, go figure, he's still a favorite. There are parts of this story that I absolutely adore - like, say, Taki's little rants at Tohma on the stairs, or in the elevator. I like that he's not quite forgiven Tohma for shoving him in front of a car, and that he hasn't completely recovered.

I don't particularly like how focused this story became toward the end, but that's always been hard for me to avoid.

Now, some shameless, but necessary, promotion.

We have a sequel. A sequel that looks to be only half the length of Transaction. But, I like the characterization Taki takes on in the next even better than this, and some of the twists and major hoops he has to go through, somehow dragging Tohma through with him, and just maybe a few extra.

And Kel, though younger than I, always has a better way of putting these things. Damn you, Kel!

It's very true. Tohma was always my favorite from the beginning of my journey into Gravitation. I love the evil types, and who oozed more than Tohma? Who had more self confidence and obvious flair for fashion? Tohma. And in all honesty, I was very gungho about being cannon with all these characters when I first got into it. I didn't want to mess with what already seemed perfect until a few too many crazy nights and bad fics online.

And this is where I met, Kel! Not saying her fic was bad. I just met her through it.

One thing I'd like to argue is that, in a sense, we DID give them a past relationship. We brought it in bit by bit with outbursts and narration. Their only other relationship had been a working one. A professional one.

I mean, after awhile, I stopped thinking of it as a oneshot. No way this could pass!

As far as the shameless plugging goes, I shall join in! Yes, the sequel I've been pushing in these AN's for a few chapters now. It's entitled 'Snowfall', as I'm sure you guys can see why now. It's slowly being pieced together although we're making a lot of progress. We don't know where it's going until we hit turning points. In a sense, this is like real life. We're making these decisions spur of the moment as we come up with them.

As far as where this sequel leaves Opium... it's hard to say. Yes, we slowly got rid of them in this fic. It wasn't intentional, because I would've loved to learn more about Haido, personally. It just happened.

Kel, anything else?

_Nope. That looks like it's it. And, your way with words is wonderful, don't damn me. Rather, re-damn me. Meanie._

Then from both of us to all of you, THANK YOU FOR READING TRANSACTION! Please be sure to look out for the sequel. While this story was a constant work in progress and Snowfall currently has no real direction, it's making constant steady progress every day! For those of you that stuck through the end, we thank you.

_Thank you and see you soon!_

_SL_


End file.
